Etihad Cargo adds A330 and 777 freighters to fleet

Etihad Cargo is adding main deck capacity faster than it had planned. It has bought two converted freighters that will take its fleet to eight aircraft by early 2027, years before its Airbus A350Fs arrive.

The first, an Airbus A330-200P2F that previously flew between Hungary and China, will join the fleet within the next two weeks and enter commercial service in early December. The second, a Boeing 777-300ERSF now undergoing conversion, is due early next year and is expected to start flying shortly after Chinese New Year.

Stanislas Brun, Chief Cargo Officer, Etihad Airways, said the carrier’s current freighter fleet stands at five aircraft plus one operated by Atlas. The A330 is a new type for the operation and comes from a decision to build a regional freighter role. “We decided, looking at the actual concepts, that we needed to have a regional freighter to deliver in the five to seven hours flight around Abu Dhabi. That’s why we went to look for the A330,” he said.

The aircraft’s first missions will include Dhaka, Tel Aviv and potentially Kuwait, with other destinations within that range to follow. Brun said the regional concept “was not necessarily immediate in the plan”, but demand across the Middle East and the wider region around Abu Dhabi has been rising. Many of these markets are served mainly by narrowbody aircraft, so the carrier wanted dedicated capacity to open regular freighter services.

The 777 will join Etihad’s existing 777 freighters, which keeps engines and maintenance simple. “It’s not a very old 777, which allows to have an interesting lifetime after,” Brun said.

Both aircraft were bought outright, one from its previous operator and the other from its owner. They are permanent additions to the fleet, not a bridge to the A350F. Etihad’s first two of 10 A350 freighters are due at the end of 2028, and the rest will follow over a five-year cycle. “The idea is to make sure that we are increasing our capability and our capacity faster than what was planned, because the demand is higher and we have definitely a role to play in the Middle East in the logistics of tomorrow,” Brun said.

He pointed to tight freighter supply. “When you look at the schedule of delivery for 2026 versus 2025, it’s obvious that the OEMs are delivering less freighters than they delivered last year, which is very scary, knowing that we need even more wings.”

High fuel prices make modern equipment more important, he added. “With kerosene so high, the old aircraft will definitely have some difficulty to operate. That’s why it’s important to continue to equip ourselves with performing aircraft, which will allow us to cap until the arrival of the A350 in the fleet.”

Brun did not rule out more growth. “End of 2027, probably there will be additional surprise coming. But it’s a bit too early to mention because nothing has been validated yet. But yes, we are definitely probably having additional wings coming within the fleet.”

China and Africa
In China, Etihad will keep flying with partner SF out of Ezhou, which Brun called “a very efficient hub and one of the most modern in Asia”, and will keep developing Shenzhen. Etihad runs 18 weekly frequencies from mainland China, and SF adds its own flights on top. Brun said this gives the partnership “the biggest capacity outside of China continental to the Middle East and the world”. The two are also looking at adding one more Chinese origin “in the near future”.

Shippers still need that capacity, he said, because disruption on the routes between Asia and Europe is limiting freighter capacity. Etihad can fly about eight hours from Asia to Abu Dhabi, then on to Paris, Frankfurt or Amsterdam on its freighters, or to other cities in passenger bellies.

Etihad will add five passenger gateways in China by March 2027: Shanghai, which launches this month, followed by Hangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Through 2027, the airline will also open five new African destinations: Accra, Lagos, Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Harare.

“We will be able to offer our customers a prime bridge between China and Africa for cargo and e-commerce, and out of Africa into China for food and perishables,” Brun said.