Etihad, Henan Province Airport Group sign deal

Etihad and Henan Province Airport Group signed a virtual Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the virtual Zhengzhou Week event hosted by Expo 2020 Dubai China Pavilion.

Etihad, which is planning freighter operations between Zhengzhou and Abu Dhabi in 2022, along with Zhengzhou Airport is attempting to create the Air Silk Road between Henan Province and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

"Etihad is very excited to see the potential to further expand its cargo footprint in China, and to create the Air Silk Road between the emirate and Central China together with Henan Province Airport Group," said Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Sales and Cargo, Etihad Airways. "This will greatly improve the diversification of product sales and cargo distribution channels in this region and strengthen economic and trade links between the UAE and China, and beyond."

Kang Xingzhen, Chairman of Henan Airport Group Co. Ltd, added: "Driven by the dramatic growth of Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport in recent years, the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone (ZAEZ) has become the first and, to date, the only aerotropolis in China to simultaneously address business, multimodal surface transportation, airport and urban objectives as an integrated whole. Supported by Zhengzhou Airport's 51 air cargo routes, the ZAEZ has not only become a manufactured product export dynamo but also Central China's largest foreign-origin meat port as well as a leading Chinese distribution point for a multitude of other imported food perishables. We sincerely hope to see Etihad Airways' scheduled freight flights land into the CGO in the not-too-distant future."

Driven by the huge demand for medical supplies, Etihad Cargo has restored 90 percent of its destinations compared with before the pandemic in the same period in 2019 while its capacity has increased 20 percent.