Logistics companies charter Etihad freighters to transport Chinese goods

Etihad Airways on Tuesday began operating two new freighter routes from China to Europe – one for a customer in Asia and the other a dedicated service flown on behalf of German logistics provider DB Schenker. 

Etihad Cargo, which operates five Boeing 777 freighters in addition to managing cargo carried in the lower deck of the company’s passenger fleet, expanded its freighter network with the introduction of a weekly service to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The flight will offer an additional 110 tons of cargo capacity to businesses, Etihad said in a news release last month announcing the new destination. 

The freighter service operates from Ezhou International Airport in China to Paris via Etihad’s hub in Abu Dhabi. The Chinese cities of Shanghai, Beijing and Zhengzhou, as well as Hong Kong and Hanoi, Vietnam, will also be connected to Paris through Etihad’s trucking network in China, which operates to and from Ezhou airport. 

An Etihad Cargo representative said the airline operates the Abu Dhabi-to-Paris sector as a charter service for an Asian logistics provider. Etihad controls the return leg and sells the cargo space to its own customers. The statement didn’t explain which airline the freight management company uses to deliver shipments to Abu Dhabi for transfer to Etihad.