Adding to Etihad Airways’ growing success, the Abu
Dhabi based airline has formed a cooperation initiative between its cargo
division and KLM cargo which adds one of KLMs Boeing 747 freighter aircraft to
Etihad Cargo’s fleet.
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Photo caption: (from left to right): KLM Managing
Director and Chief Operating Officer Pieter Elbers, KLM Managing Director and
EVP Air France-KLM Cargo Camiel Eurlings, Etihad Airways Chief Strategy and
Planning Officer Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways Vice President Cargo David Kerr.
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The additional aircraft will link Abu Dhabi and
Amsterdam, as well as increasing capacity to Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Dhaka, using
the jumbo jet with a payload capacity of 124 tons. The Boeing 747-400 ERF
delivery in late March will increase Etihad Cargo’s fleet to seven aircraft
allowing Etihad to grow its successful cargo division.
Camiel Eurlings, Managing Director at KLM, said: “This
agreement forms and excellent basis for a fruitful and far-reaching partnership
between Air France-KLM and Etihad Airways into cargo. More initiatives are to
be developed to enhance cargo cooperation aiming to offer our customers a
wide-ranging and high quality service.”
The news comes in the wake of the Air France-KLM group
announcing its 2012 financial results who blamed increasing fuel charges and
trouble with its cargo divisions. With a restructuring of the company imminent,
the move, offering the KLM freighter aircraft as part of the agreement between
the two airlines, seems to be a good option.
Three further freighters are schedule to be delivered
direct from the manufacturers during 2013 and 2014, one Boeing 777F and Airbus
A330-200F.
In January, the world’s fastest growing airline,
announced it would offer daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Amsterdam from May
onwards, connecting the Dutch capital to popular destinations such as Thailand,
Australia and Pakistan.
