Etihad Airways Scales Up Cargo Ops with New Airbus A350F Freighter

Etihad Airways has firmed up its order with Airbus for seven new generation A350F freighters, following its earlier commitment announced at the Singapore Airshow.

The freighters will upgrade Etihad’s freight capacity by deploying the most efficient cargo aircraft available in the market.

This order of the A350F sees the national carrier of the UAE expanding its relationship with Airbus, and adding to its existing order of the largest passenger version of A350-1000s, five of which have been delivered.

Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “In building one of the world’s youngest and most sustainable fleets, we are delighted to extend our long-term partnership with Airbus to add the A350 Freighter to our fleet.

"This additional cargo capacity will support the unprecedented growth we are experiencing in the Etihad Cargo division.

"Airbus has developed a remarkable fuel-efficient aircraft that, in tandem with the A350-1000 in our passenger fleet, supports our commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

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Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International said: “Airbus is delighted to extend its long standing partnership with Etihad Airways, who recently introduced the A350 passenger services and is continuing to build on the Family with the game-changing freighter version, the A350F.”

“This new generation large freighter brings unprecedented and unmatched benefits in terms of range, fuel efficiency and CO₂ savings, that support customers by enhancing operational efficiencies at the same time as reducing environmental impact.”

Etihad has also firmed up a long term agreement for Airbus’ Flight Hour Services (FHS) to support its entire A350 fleet, to maintain aircraft performance and optimise reliability. This marks the first agreement for an Airbus FHS contract for an A350-fleet in the Middle East.

Separately, Etihad has also opted for Airbus' Skywise Health Monitoring, allowing the airline to access real-time management of aircraft events and troubleshooting, saving time and decreasing the cost of unscheduled maintenance.

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