Etihad Cargo restores daily Shanghai bellyhold capacity, raising weekly total to about 840 tonnes

Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Airways, restored a daily Boeing 787-10 passenger service to Shanghai from 1 October. The bellyhold capacity complements the carrier's existing seven weekly Boeing 777 freighter operations at the Chinese gateway.

Together, the passenger and freighter services provide approximately 840 tonnes of weekly cargo capability from Shanghai. Cargo moves through Etihad's Abu Dhabi hub for distribution to markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. The capacity is aimed at e-commerce, high-tech, pharmaceuticals, life sciences and high-value industrial equipment flows.

Stanislas Brun, Chief Cargo Officer at Etihad Cargo, said the timing aligns with the Q4 peak but described the move primarily as a return to planned capacity. He said freighter capacity is deployed across key Asian markets including China, India and Vietnam, with cargo connecting through Abu Dhabi and distributed to Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Etihad Cargo plans to progressively expand passenger bellyhold capacity and its freighter network in the coming months.