Etihad Cargo has achieved record revenue growth of 49% in 2021 with a 27% year-on-year increase in freight carried, contributing towards 55% of the group’s revenue.
“2021 was a milestone year for Etihad Cargo,” said Martin Drew, senior vice president sales & cargo, Etihad Aviation Group. “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.”
In Q1, Etihad Cargo temporarily modified five Boeing 777 aircraft to support cabin-loaded cargo, operating more than 800 charter and scheduled cargo flights in the new configuration in 2021, adding capacity along key strategic routes.
The carrier says investing in digitalisation has continued to be a key enabler to success. Augmenting customer service was a key focus of 2021 and Etihad Cargo’s new online booking portal was developed following “extensive customer workshops” to address their requirements, reducing the booking time to just 45 seconds. Since its launch in October, the company has recorded 36% increase in online bookings within three months of launching the new portal.
In addition, the carrier has announced exploring a proof of concept with SPEEDCARGO for using Artificial Intelligence to measure cargo dimensions and optimise space planning, which will in turn allow Etihad Cargo to improve capacity planning.
