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Etihad Cargo, Avianca sign new freighter service deal

ABU DHABI, October 20, 2014

Etihad Cargo, the freighter division of Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, is set to partner with Avianca Cargo, the cargo division of leading Latin American carrier Avianca, based in Colombia, to deploy  freighter flights.

Under the commercial deal, the flights will be deployed from Milan, Italy’s Malpensa Airport to Bogotá, Colombia and from Bogotá to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, said a statement.

The new service will operate twice a week from November 12, providing an important cargo connection between Europe and South America.

The flights will also facilitate transportation of goods to other markets around the world by linking the extensive global networks of both Etihad Airways and Avianca Cargo.

In addition to passenger flights by Etihad, Etihad Cargo currently operates four freighter flights per week between Abu Dhabi and Milan, Malpensa. It will also feed traffic from markets across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Avianca Cargo will provide cargo services through its Bogotá hub, at El Dorado International Airport with its passengers and cargo flights to and from countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

The new route will commence with a Boeing 747-400 Freighter, offering a maximum capacity of 105 tonnes, with strong demand expected for transportation of raw materials, perishables, machinery parts, equipment, industrial consumables, and fashion goods, said the statement.

Kevin Knight, chief strategy and planning officer at Etihad, said: “Italy is the third largest cargo market in Europe, and has been a key focus area for Etihad Cargo since 2007, when we inaugurated our first service to the country. Demand has been strong and our operations have since expanded to include freighter and passenger flights to Milan, and a daily passenger service between Rome and Abu Dhabi, launched in July this year.

“To date, Etihad has carried almost 130,000 tonnes of cargo into and out of Italy, and we are delighted to build on this success with the launch of a new cargo route between Milan and Bogotá, operated in partnership with Avianca Cargo. This service provides a unique opportunity to tap into fast-growing traffic flows between Europe, South America and beyond.”

Victor Mejia, cargo vice president at Avianca, said: “This is a valuable opportunity to expand Avianca Cargo’s network, especially in moving perishable goods from the Americas that are highly demanded in Europe. At the same time, we would be strengthening our Cargo Hub operations in Bogota in order to provide quality cargo transportation to Europe throughout the region, with an extensive network that unites with our three hubs - Bogotá, Colombia; Lima, Peru; and San Salvador, El Salvador - allowing efficient load transfer through reliable, agile and synchronised operations.” - TradeArabia News Service




Tags: abu dhabi | Etihad | cargo | Milan |

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