Etihad Cargo crosses operational performance targets in 2022

Etihad Cargo has reported that it exceeded its operational performance targets in 2022. The carrier achieved 80.5 per cent on-time-performance (OTP) for freighter departures and 84.1 per cent OTP for freighter arrivals, ahead of its 80 per cent target.

 The carrier has also maintained a delivered-as-promised (DAP) rate of 86.6 per cent, a 2.6 per cent improvement compared to the previous year and over its target of 85 per cent.

 Martin Drew, SVP – Global Sales & Cargo at Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Having achieved record revenue results in the first half of 2022, the focus for Etihad Cargo was building on this momentum to ensure the carrier continued to meet customers’ capacity demands with agility. Exceeding OTP and DAP targets, which measure the carrier’s ability to deliver cargo at the agreed time and the punctuality of its freighter fleet against schedule, demonstrates Etihad Cargo’s strong commitment to reliability, building trust, and being the air cargo partner of choice.”

Etihad Cargo: Highlights in 2022

The carrier retired the last of its aircraft reconfigured to carry cargo-in-cabin last year. While a surge in passenger demand impacted capacity, Etihad Cargo maintained a strong belly-to-freighter load factor, recording a 58 per cent belly and 42 per cent freighter load mix at the end of 2022.

The carrier has also achieved a load factor of 91 per cent and a freighter utilisation rate of 14.3 hours.

It achieved growth across a number of its eight-strong premium products.

In 2022, Etihad Cargo achieved IATA CEIV Live Animals certification, becoming the first airline in the Middle East and only the third globally to hold the trilogy of IATA’s CEIV Live Animals, CEIV Fresh and CEIV Pharma certifications.

 The expansion of Etihad Cargo’s global network was also a priority for the carrier in 2022. “Etihad Cargo’s customers have benefited from increased belly capacity on widebody passenger flights to key destinations, including Bangkok, Brussels, Dublin, Guangzhou, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London, Madrid, New York, Singapore and Vienna,” said Drew. “The carrier also introduced additional freighter capacity, launching new services from Chennai and Shanghai.”

Etihad Cargo has built depth into its network and operates services to 68 destinations around the world. Via its expansive road feeder services network, the carrier further connects 132 origin stations with 290 destination stations across the UAE, GCC, Europe, North America, Japan, India and Australia via a fleet of over 30,000 trucks.

Digitalisation efforts

The carrier also focused on digitalisation, further enhancing its online booking portal and launching a Mandarin version of its website and booking portal to better meet the needs of customers in China, a key market for Etihad Cargo.

New updates, including enhanced shipment tracking, automated dashboards, customised news feeds and look-to-book features, have resulted in 39.3 per cent of online bookings being made through the online booking portal.94.1 per cent of all online bookings in China are completed via the portal.

 The carrier launched a new CRM system for its customer contact centre to empower customer service agents with more customer-focused data. 

 Another core focus for Etihad Cargo during 2022 was sustainability. The carrier partnered with IATA to co-develop and trial a cargo-specific CO2 emission calculation tool, which will provide a valuable proof of concept for the cargo component of the IATA CO2 Connect carbon calculator.

Focused on sustainability

It was also the first Middle Eastern carrier to join TIACA’s BlueSky sustainability verification programme.

Etihad Cargo also signed an MOU with B Medical Systems to develop and launch the world’s first airline-specific passive temperature-controlled container, which will significantly reduce carbon emissions through an innovative design in terms of packaging type and size.

In January, the carrier is set to introduce an additional three weekly flights to John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from April 24.

The additional flights will bring Etihad Cargo’s total cargo capacity to over 600 tonnes out of the US per week.

The flights will be operated with both Airbus A350 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which offer significantly less fuel burn and CO2 emissions than previous-generation twin-aisle aircraft.

Read: UAE’s Etihad Cargo to increase capacity offering to US