Etihad Airways eyes Zhengzhou cargo hub
Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi Int’l) is to extend its cargo footprint in China with plans for regular freighter operations between Abu Dhabi Int’l and Zhengzhou in 2022 in what will become an “Air Silk Road” between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China’s Henan province, pending regulatory approval.
This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation between the airline and the Henan Province Airport Group that also aims to turn Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport into an air freight hub in the region. The MoU was inked during the virtual “Zhengzhou Week” hosted by the Expo 2020 Dubai China Pavilion starting from December 27, 2021.
Punted as the strengthening of aviation ties between the UAE and China, the development would greatly improve the diversification of product sales and cargo distribution channels in the Henan region and strengthen economic and trade links between the UAE and China, said Etihad Airways Senior Vice President (Sales & Cargo) Martin Drew.
He said Etihad Cargo performed strongly in the past year, driven by a huge demand for medical supplies during the pandemic. “Etihad Cargo has restored 90% of its destinations compared with the same period in 2019, while its capacity has increased by 20%,” he said.
“Since the start of the pandemic, Etihad Cargo has operated 1,042 flights out of Shanghai Pudong and Beijing, carrying over 65,000 tons on its B777-F freighters and passenger freighters, amongst which 50% of the flights were medical supplies to support the global fight against COVID-19 and equip frontline medical professionals,” he 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, only aerotropolis in China to simultaneously address business, multimodal surface transportation, airport, and urban objectives as an integrated whole,” commented Henan Airport Group Chairman, Kang Xingzhen. Supported by the airport’s 51 air cargo routes, the ZAEZ has become a major centre for manufactured product export. It is Central China’s largest foreign-origin meat port as well as a leading Chinese distribution point for a multitude of other imported food perishables, he said.
Henan Province Airport Group is 23% owned by the Henan Civil Aviation Development Investment Company (HCAD) which owns China Central Longhao Airlines (GI, Zhengzhou) in China as well as a 35% stake in Cargolux (CV, Luxembourg). HCAD has also been linked to online retailer JD.com’s nascent in-house cargo carrier, JD Air Cargo (Nantong).