The UAE’s national carrier, Etihad Airways has firmed up an order for seven Airbus A350 freighters, further consolidating the Abu Dhabi-based airline’s trust in the cargo aircraft and its passenger counterpart.
Enhanced capabilities
In February, the airline signed a letter of intent for the aircraft type at the Singapore Airshow , as part of its strategy to enhance its cargo capabilities and expand its global airfreight operations.
“In building one of the world’s youngest and most sustainable fleets, we are delighted to extend our long-term partnership with Airbus to add the A350 Freighter to our fleet,” Etihad Aviation Group CEO, Tony Douglas said pointing out that the additional cargo capacity will “support the unprecedented growth we are experiencing in the Etihad Cargo division.”
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Consolidated trust
The latest expansion is set to double the airline’s current cargo fleet of five Boeing 777-200 freighter aircraft to a total of 12 cargo aircraft.
On his part, Airbus’ Chief Commercial Officer, Christian Scherer expressed the European aircraft manufacturer’s delight to extend its “long-standing partnership with Etihad Airways, who recently introduced the A350 passenger services and is continuing to build on the family with the game-changing freighter version, the A350F.”
Sustainability goals
Scherer further highlighted that the new generation of large freighters brings unprecedented and unmatched benefits in terms of range, fuel efficiency and Carbon savings, to help customers enhance their operational efficiencies and reduce their environmental impact.
On the same note, Douglas praised Airbus for developing a fuel-efficient aircraft, adding that in tandem with the airline’s A350-1000 passenger fleet, the new freighters will support Etihad’s commitment to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
Record profits
Etihad Cargo posted record profits for the first half of 2022 on Monday, marking 35% of the group’s consolidated operating revenue at a 6% year-on-year revenue growth above the same period in 2021.
