Etihad Airways has decided to up its game in the air cargo business by beefing up its fleet with three additional A350Fs on top of the seven it previously agreed upon back in 2022. Stanislas Brun, the Vice President of Etihad Cargo, shared in an interview with Pilotcenter.net News that the airline made this move in response to the boom in online shopping. Presently, Etihad operates five Boeing 777 freighters, but Brun hinted at the possibility of increasing the fleet to 15 freighter aircraft within the next five years. The decision to add more A350Fs was made just recently, and the airline is currently in talks with Airbus to finalize the terms and delivery schedules.

The initial order of seven A350F freighters was confirmed by Etihad in August 2022, following a prior commitment announced at the Singapore Airshow. In expressing his excitement about this partnership, Etihad CEO Tony Douglas stated, “In building one of the world’s youngest and most sustainable fleets, we are delighted to extend our long-term partnership with Airbus to add the A350 Freighter to our fleet. This additional cargo capacity will support the unprecedented growth we are experiencing in the Etihad Cargo division.”

While the Airbus A350F is still under development, it is anticipated to be put into service around 2026/2027. Airbus has so far received orders for 58 A350Fs from various carriers including Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, and Air France. Statistics from S&P Global indicate that around 20% of global air freight volume is attributed to e-commerce, with the volume originating from China alone enough to fill 50 to 80 freighter aircraft each day.

This move by Etihad Airways marks a significant step towards meeting the rising demands of air freight in a world that is increasingly reliant on the convenience of online shopping.