Etihad Airways reported double-digit growth in cargo volumes during the first half of 2014, with total revenues increasing to US$3.2 billion (2.3 billion euros).
Etihad Cargo carried 268,713 tonnes of freight and mail during the first half, up 25 percent year over year, contributing significantly to the airline’s total revenue. Etihad Cargo remains on track to become a billion-dollar business in 2014.
In the second quarter of 2014, Etihad flew 140,892 tonnes of freight and mail, up 25 percent on the same period last year.
“At a time when the global airline industry has struggled with high fuel prices, intense competition and a slowdown in the cargo market, Etihad Airways has achieved record success, carrying more passengers and cargo to more destinations around the world, with our biggest fleet to date,” James Hogan, president and CEO of Etihad Airways, said. “We have ambitious plans to build on this momentum in the second half of 2014, with five more destinations being introduced into our global network, and our ground-breaking Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 also entering service, which will reinforce our status as a global market leader.”
Cargo volumes were boosted by the growth of Etihad’s global route network, with 98 destinations operational by the end of the first half of 2014, compared to 92 in the same period last year.
During the second quarter, Etihad Cargo launched weekly freighter services to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Entebbe, Uganda. The airline also increased frequencies on existing freighter routes to Beijing; Almaty, Kazakhstan; and Bangalore, India, and has more belly-hold capacity to Munich, New York and Chengdu, China.
Demand was also boosted by a new global incentive that awards Etihad Guest Miles for the booking of personal cargo shipments, which can be redeemed for flights and other rewards. This complements the existing Etihad CargoConnect program, which rewards small-to-medium sized freight forwarders with miles for their cargo business. A Partner Elite program was also launched in the second quarter to recognize Etihad Cargo’s larger key multinational customers.
Etihad Airways’ workforce grew to 20,149 employees by the end of the first half, up 28 percent year over year.