UAE-flagged Etihad Cargo, part of the carrier Etihad Airways, posted record monthly uplift figures in July of 45,000 tonnes, a 37 percent increase from the same month in 2012.
“Over the past 12 months we’ve strengthened our global cargo business, expanded operations across new and existing trade lanes, seen demand continue to grow, and in response, we’ve been able to add greater capacity via our growing passenger and freighter fleet,” said Etihad Airways’ chief strategy and planning officer, Kevin Knight.
The July throughput was driven largely by increases in key export markets such as India, Hong Kong, and China and demand from the Middle East for foodstuff predominately from The Netherlands ahead of the Ramadan.
The carrier’s Abu Dhabi hub, Etihad Airport Services-Cargo, which is now an Etihad subsidiary, also posted record tonnage in July with 70,500 tonnes handled.
“Announced in May this year, the acquisition of the Abu Dhabi Cargo Company is an investment turning point in terms of how we plan to grow cargo handling at our hub, and drive better synergies and efficiencies,” Knight added.
