Thirteen years after their first partnership agreement, which saw Atlas Air provide flight services for the UAE-headquartered airline, the two carriers have now announced another long-term agreement. This time, Atlas Air will operate a newly delivered and now Etihad Cargo-dedicated Boeing 777 freighter. The move results from increased customer demand for general air cargo, e-commerce, automotive, pharmaceuticals and perishable products across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, and Etihad Cargo’s ambition to serve these segments. The Atlas Air freighter, which began flying on behalf of Etihad Cargo this month already, links the UAE capital with Hong Kong and Madrid to begin with. The press release suggests that more destinations will follow. The freighter can uplift a payload of up to 103 tons and is both fuel efficient and low in noise emissions.
Michael Steen, Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Air Worldwide, said: “We are pleased to again partner with Etihad Cargo, one of the industry’s most respected carriers. This partnership reflects our strong value proposition and the trust we’ve built with customers over time. We are pleased to tailor this long-term dedicated capacity solution to help Etihad capture growth opportunities. With our global scale and flexible, agile network, Atlas Air is enabling Etihad to expand their operations and serve their customers with confidence, […] is proud to be a trusted partner of choice, and we look forward to supporting Etihad’s continued success.”
Stanislas Brun, Chief Cargo Officer, Etihad Airways, stated: “Etihad Cargo’s expanded collaboration with Atlas Air represents a strategic step in scaling capacity and extending our global reach. With Etihad Airways’ passenger fleet continuing to grow, it is essential that our freighter fleet expands in parallel to sustain this momentum and deliver end-to-end network connectivity. By aligning growth across both passenger and freighter operations, Etihad Cargo reinforces its ability to meet evolving customer demand, strengthen high-volume trade lanes, and introduce greater flexibility across key markets. This additional capacity further enhances the reliability and agility of our services, ensuring the delivery of seamless and efficient cargo solutions worldwide.”
