Etihad Cargo to add A330 and 777 freighters to its fleet

Etihad Cargo said it bought an Airbus A330-200P2F that previously flew between Hungary and China and a Boeing 777-300ERSF now undergoing conversion. The A330 is due to join within two weeks and enter commercial service in early December; the 777 is due early next year and is expected to start flying shortly after Chinese New Year. The carrier described both as permanent additions, not a bridge to its A350Fs.

Its current freighter fleet stands at five aircraft plus one operated by Atlas. The two acquisitions are to bring the fleet to eight by early 2027, while the first two of 10 A350 freighters are due at the end of 2028 and the rest over a five-year cycle. The A330 will be used for regional missions of five to seven hours around Abu Dhabi, with first destinations including Dhaka, Tel Aviv and potentially Kuwait.

Etihad also plans to keep flying to Ezhou with partner SF and to develop Shenzhen, with 18 weekly frequencies from mainland China. It plans five passenger gateways in China by March 2027 — Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Guangzhou — and five African destinations through 2027: Accra, Lagos, Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Harare. The carrier did not rule out more growth at the end of 2027 but said nothing had been validated yet.