Etihad Cargo is addressing the increasing demand in the US and Canada by adding extra capacity to key North American destinations.
The Abu Dhabi-based carrier announced that it will provide additional space beyond its existing bellyhold capacity through partnerships with other airlines.
This initiative will introduce an extra 250 tonnes per week to New York, Chicago, Washington, Boston, and Toronto via European gateways such as Lisbon, Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome.
This additional capacity supplements Etihad’s existing 550 tonnes of widebody capacity to North America.
Currently, the carrier offers 445 tonnes of capacity from the US through 30 flights per week across four gateways: New York, Chicago, Washington, and Boston. It also provides 105 tonnes from Canada via daily flights to Toronto.
“The flights will operate in adherence to Etihad Cargo’s dedicated Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), ensuring seamless connectivity for partners and customers,” the carrier stated.
Stanislas Brun, Vice President of Cargo at Etihad Airlines, commented, “Expanding our US network and adding incremental capacity for the North American market underscores the significance of this region and highlights Etihad Cargo’s commitment to meeting customer needs and supporting global trade. We recognize the essential role of air freight in connecting economies and are dedicated to offering seamless and reliable services to remain the preferred air cargo partner.”
The expansion of belly capacity comes in response to a rapid rise in demand in the US, driven by soaring e-commerce shipments. This trend is further exacerbated by ocean shipping capacity shortages, as companies expedite peak season goods due to last year’s disruptions and concerns over a potential US container port strike later this year.
The growing demand for air cargo on the transpacific route is reflected in airfreight rate figures from the Baltic Exchange Airfreight Index powered by TAC data. Rates from Hong Kong to North America have increased by 14.5% year-on-year to around $5.75 per kg, while prices from Shanghai have surged by approximately 30% to over $5.60 per kg.
However, the cost of ocean shipping has risen at a much faster rate, with global ocean prices currently around six times lower than airfreight, compared to a historic average of 12-15 times lower.
Etihad’s decision to increase capacity to North America follows its announcement of an expanded partnership with SF Airlines, aimed at boosting cargo from China to its Abu Dhabi hub. The partnership will launch a new freighter service between Shenzhen and Abu Dhabi, enhancing cargo capacity between China and the UAE. Additionally, they are adding three extra freighter flights between Ezhou and Abu Dhabi.
From Abu Dhabi, the carrier recently expanded its capacity to Madrid, one of the transshipment points for its increased US capacity, by adding a twice-weekly 777 freighter flight from Abu Dhabi.
