Atlas Air on Thursday said it has been enlisted by Etihad Airways and DSV, the largest pure-play logistics provider in the world by revenue, to provide dedicated freighter aircraft and crews for their burgeoning airfreight requirements.
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 New York-based Atlas Air to supply and fly a Boeing 777 freighter between Hong Hong, Abu Dhabi and Madrid, Spain. The route is already in service, but subject to change as Etihad adjusts its overall network structure.
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’s cargo division 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. The airline is the world’s largest operator of Boeing 747 freighters.
“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.”
Atlas Air also said that DSV has expanded its partnership by signing a long-term charter agreement giving it commercial control of a Boeing 777-200 freighter. Atlas Air will operate the aircraft on transcontinental routes, including via DSV’s main U.S. hub in Huntsville, Alabama, and Luxembourg.
Atlas Air has a long-standing relationship with DSV. At various times it has operated Boeing 747 jumbo jets from Asia to Huntsville and Phoenix, and between Miami and Sao Paulo, Brazil, on DSV’s behalf.
“The addition of a 777 freighter allows us to further enhance service to our customers, with greater control over capacity, schedules, and connectivity. The Huntsville–Luxembourg corridor is a vital trade lane for us, and this new program ensures we can continue to deliver consistent, high-quality performance across key transcontinental routes,” said Stefan Krikken, senior vice president at DSV.
Both Atlas 777 aircraft are newly delivered production freighters from Boeing. The planes offer a maximum payload of 103 tons and range of nearly 5,000 miles. Atlas Air currently operates four newbuild 777-200s for Europe-based MSC Air Cargo.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.
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