Freight volumes were up 27% as Etihad Cargo adapted to changing market conditions, with five Boeing 777s being modified for cargo-in-cabin operations, operating more than 800 scheduled and charter flights throughout the year.
By mid-2021, Etihad Cargo had recovered more than 90% of its pre-Covid network and operated 6,000 passenger freighter flights throughout the year, with freighter utilisation averaging 16.5 hours.
Premium products grew well; revenue for its pharma product, PharmaLife was up 85%, and its perishable FreshForward service was up 26%.
With relaxed travel restrictions, revenue for SkyStables, the equine transport service was up 28%, and revenue for SafeGuard for transporting valuables was up 103%.
Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Sales and Cargo at Etihad Aviation Group says: “The Etihad Cargo team has worked closer than ever with partners and customers to address their demands and allocate necessary capacity, resulting in a record tonnage of 729,200 tonnes – the highest since 2017.”
Etihad Cargo helped fight the Covid-19 pandemic, handling over 250 million vaccine doses with partners at the HOPE Consortium.
Initiatives have been launched to make Abu Dhabi a pharma and life science hub including establishing the first pharma corridor between Abu Dhabi and Belgium.
Etihad Cargo is also working with UNICEF to transport aid following the signing of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to support its Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative.
Digitalisation has also been an area of focus with a new booking portal substantially reducing booking times.
It was launched in October and online bookings increased 36% in three months of the portal opening.