Etihad orders two Airbus A330-200 Freighters

UAE-based Etihad Airways had ordered two more A330-200 Freighters in order to double the size of its Airbus A330-200Fs fleet.

The UAE-based airline said that the new cargo planes are worth $423m at current list prices, and will help expand its plans to increase its presence in the cargo sector.

Etihad Airways, which was a launch customer and launch operator of the A330-200F, operates the planes on routes to Addis Ababa, Almaty, Beijing, Arbil, Frankfurt-Hahn, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Milan and Nairobi.

Etihad Airways president and CEO James Hogan said the company strongly committed to building its presence in the cargo sector with the platform of Abu Dhabi as its hub to connect global trade lanes.

"The A330-200F has been a key part of our recent success in the market. We are very pleased with its high reliability and versatility, and that's why we are keen to expand this fleet type," Hogan said.

The company said that the A330-200F can carry up to 70 tonnes of payload and offers a range of up to 4,000 nautical miles.

Airbus COO of customers John Leahy said this repeat order by Etihad Airways underlines the key role the A330-200F is playing alongside larger freighters.

"The A330-200F enables Etihad Airways to optimise its network by addressing markets which do not make business sense with large freighters," Leahy said.