Figures and certificates spell growth
Etihad Cargo gaining momentum and achieving sustainable growth. Etihad Cargo achieved record revenues in 2021 and has continued to build on this momentum, achieving top results in the first half of 2022 too. The carrier is confident that it can finish the year strongly and achieve further growth in 2023. Tim Isik, Etihad Cargo’s vice-president commercial, shares insights into how the company is realising its vision of being the air cargo partner of choice.
Etihad Cargo, established in 2004 as the cargo and logistics arm of the Etihad Aviation Group, the national airline of the UAE, is a relatively young player in the market. “Over the past 18 years,” Isik told the ITJ recently, “we’ve built a strong network from our hub in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, providing links to America, Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and the rest of the Middle East.”
Despite the challenges of the global pandemic, Etihad Cargo achieved a record in 2021, which Isik said is “driven by our customer-centric approach, eight premium products, investment in infrastructure and a commitment to being the easiest carrier to do business with.”
Delivering high-quality services
Etihad Cargo built on this momentum to carry 295,000 t of freight and post a 6% increase in revenues in the first half of 2022 – “our best mid-year revenue results to date,” as Isik proudly elaborated.
In addition to revenue growth the carrier has maintained a strong delivered-as-promised rate of 86% and an 83% on-time performance rate for its freighters. These results underline the airline’s commitment to collaborating with its partners and clients.
Quality remains at the core of Etihad Cargo’s approach. This year the airline attained Cargo iQ recertification, and it also holds the Iata CEIV Pharma, Fresh and Live Animals certifications. The rewards include growth for several premium services, as well as a 46% improvement for ‘PharmaLife’, its dedicated pharmaceutical product.
To achieve long-term growth Etihad Cargo has continued to invest in digitalisation, product features and infrastructure. “This year we launched an enhanced booking portal available in English, Arabic and Mandarin. Following the roll-out of new updates, bookings made through the portal have surged by 57%,” Isik continued.
Further reducing its carbon emissions
As for making further progress towards sustainability, Etihad Cargo has become the first Middle Eastern carrier to participate in Tiaca’s BlueSky sustainability verification programme (see also page 17).
On top of this, Isik told the ITJ, Etihad Cargo “also recently announced a partnership with Iata to trial a CO2 emissions calculation tool developed just for cargo flights. The further reduction of carbon emissions is also the goal of an mou we’ve signed with the manufacturer B Medical Systems to develop and launch the world’s first airline-specific passive temperature-controlled container.”
Etihad Cargo also recently announced the upcoming launch of a pharmaceuticals hub, which will enable it to no less than double its cool chain storage and handling capacities. Overall, Isik believes, the enterprise is thus in a good position “to remain the air cargo partner of choice”.