Etihad Cargo boosts its freighter summer schedule across key international markets

The carrier has announced it will tweak its freighter network to adjust to passenger suspensions and launched passenger freighter network to ensure continuity.

Etihad Cargo has announced its freighter schedule for the IATA summer season, aiming to boost capacity to its top freighter gateways. The network is also said to be expanding to capacity-constrained markets that are wrestling with decreased passenger operations or temporary travel bans in light of the Coronavirus crisis. 

Running March 29 to October 28, 2020, Etihad Cargo’s summer schedule will boast weekly freighter flights added to European cities, as well as increased freighter frequencies across major Asian and African cargo gateways.

In Asia, the seasonal plan aims to double Etihad Cargo’s Hong Kong services to four flights per week, while Hanoi will gain a third-weekly service and Singapore a second weekly flight. These additions complete the currently operated seasonal winter schedule across China, India and Bangladesh. 

In Europe, five flights per week will operate through Amsterdam, an increase on the current three, while Milan moves to a twice-weekly turnaround freighter service, while Etihad Cargo will launch new freighter connections linking Abu Dhabi with Paris. The new freighter flights will depart Abu Dhabi International Airport for Paris Charles De Gaulle on Thursdays and Saturdays. The same day return services will add 200 tons of incremental weekly freight capacity between the UAE and Paris. These services will be complemented by an increase in services into Johannesburg and Nairobi, presumably also from Abu Dhabi, to twice weekly.

North America remains a key market with Etihad Cargo’s twice-weekly freighter service to Rickenbacker in California, US, with stopovers on the inbound and outbound sectors offering capacity between Europe and North America.

Abdulla Mohamed Shadid, Managing Director Cargo and Logistics at Etihad Aviation Group, said, “with widespread commercial flight restrictions in numerous international markets, the air cargo environment is evolving daily. After consulting closely with local and international authorities, our optimised summer freighter schedule is designed to significantly boost capacity and service customers in key cargo markets”

Source: Etihad Cargo