Three cargo airlines on Thursday said they are adding freighter capacity in the European market to meet demand for goods transportation.
Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) in the Netherlands, announced it will receive three additional freight flights following agreements with Turkish Airlines’ cargo division and My Freighter.
Turkish Cargo will add to its existing twice-weekly service with a Boeing 777 flight connecting Quito, Ecuador; Miami; Istanbul, Turkey; and Maastricht, transporting flowers, vegetables and other goods.
Uzbek airline, My Freighter, will operate a new, twice-weekly Boeing 767-300 full freighter service connecting Shanghai, China; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Almaty, Kazakhstan; and Maastricht. The first flight arrived at Maastricht on Aug. 20, said spokeswoman Carmi Henssen. My Freighter cargo will include e-commerce goods, automotive products, general cargo, and flowers.
On Aug. 6, My Freighter began service between Shanghai and Amsterdam Schiphol airport, with a stopover in Tashkent. In reality, the My Freighter flights are alternating between Amsterdam Schiphol and Maastricht Aachen, which has a strategic partnership with Schiphol Airport and is partially owned by Royal Schiphol Group.
MST figures show cargo volumes are up 15% year over year, driven in part by a series of Atlas Air charter flights, the arrival of Ethiopian Cargo, the the return of Turkish Cargo after a short absence.
MST is growing as an alternative freighter destination to Amsterdam Schiphol airport, which is crowded and facing government flight restrictions to reduce noise and pollution for city residents.
Earlier this summer, Ethiopian Airlines signed a new contract with MST and operates twice weekly with a Boeing 777, carrying both perishables and general cargo. The airline connects Hong Kong, Addis Ababa, and Maastricht.
Etihad Cargo outsources to Atlas Air
In related news, Etihad Airlines, which operates five Boeing 777 freighter aircraft in addition to a large fleet of widebody passenger aircraft, has signed a dedicated contract with U.S.-based Atlas Air to supply and fly a Boeing 777 freighter between Hong Hong, Abu Dhabi and Madrid, Spain, beginning in August.
The announcement didn’t indicate the frequency of service, but the default position is likely once per week. Atlas Air said the 777 is a newly delivered production aircraft from Boeing.
In June, Etihad Cargo similarly wet leased a Boeing 747-400 freighter from U.S.-based Western Global Airlines to support new service to London and Shenzhen, China.
Atlas Air has previously provided dedicated transport service for Etihad Cargo.
“Etihad Cargo’s expanded collaboration with Atlas Air represents a strategic step in scaling capacity and extending our global reach,” said Stanislas Brun, Etihad’s chief cargo officer. “With Etihad Airways’ passenger fleet continuing to grow, it is essential that our freighter fleet expands in parallel to sustain this momentum and deliver end-to-end network connectivity. By aligning growth across both passenger and freighter operations, Etihad Cargo reinforces its ability to meet evolving customer demand, strengthen high-volume trade lanes and introduce greater flexibility across key markets.”
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