United Arab Emirates flag carrier, Etihad Aviation Group, has boosted its cargo capacity to China by 30 tonnes with the introduction of twice-weekly services to Guangzhou.
The aviation group’s cargo and logistics division said in a statement this week that the firm aimed to reinforce its commitment to the Chinese market with the introduction of an additional 30 tonnes of belly capacity via two new weekly direct passenger flights to Guangzhou. The first flight is expected to operate from October 10, subject to regulatory approvals.
The latest addition to the carrier's network makes it the first international airline to operate long-haul passenger and cargo services to the top three Chinese gateways since the start of the pandemic.
In July, it announced the introduction of direct passenger flights to Beijing, bringing the total number of direct passenger and freighter flights for China to 15. With the introduction of an additional two direct passenger services per week to Guangzhou using a two-class Boeing 777, the company will now offer 1 520 tonnes of total cargo capacity into and out of China per week.
Etihad Aviation Group's senior vice president global sales and cargo, Martin Drew, said China was a key strategic market for the firm.
“The Chinese market contributes over 20% of the carrier's cargo operations, and Etihad Cargo is further reinforcing its commitment to the market by expanding operations into Guangzhou,” Drew said.
The carrier transports a wide range of export products from China to the UAE, Europe and the US, with electronics the most widely transported product.
