Etihad Cargo and VEDP sign agreement to strengthen air cargo links
The partnership will explore joint initiatives and market insights to support Virginia’s high-value supply chains and strengthen Washington Dulles as a global cargo gateway.
Stanislas Brun, Chief Cargo Officer at Etihad Airways and Eric Jehu, Vice-President of logistics at VEDP
Etihad Cargo and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen international air cargo connectivity and support aviation-related trade.
The agreement was signed at TIACA’s Air Cargo Forum 2026 in Miami Beach. It provides a framework for the two organisations to exchange market insights, explore joint initiatives and identify opportunities to expand air cargo and passenger activity.
The collaboration supports Virginia’s strategy to strengthen Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) as a global air cargo gateway, particularly for high-value and time-sensitive supply chains serving the pharmaceutical, perishables, energy, data centre and cloud computing industries.
These sectors depend on reliable global connectivity to support investment, innovation and international trade.
Etihad Cargo’s specialised services include PharmaLife for pharmaceuticals and FreshForward for perishables. These products support the transportation of temperature-sensitive goods, while the carrier also handles high-value, time-sensitive and specialised cargo across its global network.
Stanislas Brun, Chief Cargo Officer at Etihad Airways, said Virginia’s industries have specialised logistics requirements, particularly in pharmaceuticals, perishables, technology and data centre infrastructure.
He said Etihad Cargo’s experience in handling temperature-sensitive, high-value and time-critical shipments would help the partnership contribute practical cargo expertise and explore ways to strengthen international connectivity through Washington Dulles.
Eric Jehu, Vice-President of logistics at VEDP, said the value of an air cargo gateway extended beyond the freight it handled to the investment and economic activity it enabled.
He added that the partnership with Etihad Cargo was a step towards connecting Virginia businesses with global opportunities and strengthening the state’s position as a gateway for international trade.
