Etihad Cargo, a division of UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways, has posted record monthly revenues for November of $65.8 million, up from $54.3 million registered for the same period last year, marking an increase of 21.2 per cent.

The carrier lifted 32,633 tonnes of freight in the period, an 18.2 per cent increase on November 2011 (27,628 tonnes).

The figures reflect the cargo operator’s continued upward momentum in what has been a record 2012 so far.

Etihad Airways’ chief strategy and planning officer Kevin Knight said: “2012 has been a great year for us.  The latest impressive revenue and tonnage figures have been driven largely by strong sales out of Southern China and solid growth out of Europe and South East Asia.

“Yields have also held up compared to last year, and at the same time we have successfully grown volumes ahead of our capacity growth.

“Looking ahead, we expect to maintain strong freight performance over the final month of 2012,” he added.

Etihad Cargo has also recently inaugurated a twice-weekly freighter operation from Houston to Abu Dhabi.

The new service departs Texas’ largest city every Tuesday and Friday and is operated in conjunction with existing wet-lease partner Atlas Air Worldwide, using a Boeing 747-8 freighter.

“Houston-Abu Dhabi will complement our existing bellyhold cargo capacity from Chicago and New York, and no doubt be a catalyst for strengthening the trade ties between our two countries,” Knight noted.  – TradeArabia News Service