Etihad Cargo will provide its customers and partners with increased belly-hold cargo capacity across its global network starting in June 2024 with the announcement of the expanded summer schedule of Etihad Airways.

The carrier's summer schedule will introduce 23 passenger flights to new destinations and increase passenger flights to existing routes by 77 per week, totalling 100 new weekly passenger flights.

Popular seasonal destinations in Europe return to the carrier's schedule, and Etihad Cargo will offer additional belly-hold cargo capacity to Spain, Greece, and France and launch a new route to Turkey.

Etihad said from June 2, its customers will be able to book cargo capacity on three weekly passenger flights to Malaga and two flights per week to Nice.

In addition to increasing the flights to Athens to 14 per week, two flights to Greece's capital will operate via Myknos, and two flights will operate via Santorini.

The airline will also launch a new route to Antalya via three weekly flights in addition to increasing weekly flights to Istanbul from 10 to 14 from July 22.

Etihad Cargo's customers will also benefit from increased cargo capacity for Dublin, with three more flights being offered from July 23, bringing the total number of flights to the Republic of Ireland's capital to 10 per week.

Etihad Cargo's partners and customers will also have access to increased belly-hold cargo capacity in the Middle East.

It said that in addition to three passenger flights to Al-Qassim in Saudi Arabia, a new destination for the carrier, the airline will also increase frequencies to Middle Eastern destinations by 32 flights per week.

This includes seven additional flights to Amman, bringing the total to 14 per week; seven more flights to Kuwait, bringing the total to 28 per week; two more flights to Bahrain, Beirut and Muscat; five more flights to Doha, and by mid-July, flights to Cairo will have increased to 28 per week.

The carrier's India network will grow to include four weekly flights to the new destination, Jaipur.

Following the launch of Thiruvananthapuram to the carrier's 2023 winter schedule, weekly flights will increase from seven to ten per week in response to increased demand.

Etihad Cargo noted that two new flights to Ahmedabad will bring the weekly total to 17, three new flights to Bengaluru will bring the weekly total to 17, and flights to Kolkata will increase by one to eight per week.

Strengthening its commitment to the Asian market, the airline will also launch a new route via four weekly flights to Bali.

Additional belly hold capacity will also be offered via an extra weekly flight to Bangkok, bringing the total to 18; eleven more flights to Colombo, bringing the total to 27; three more flights to Karachi, bringing the total to 17; and four flights to Seoul, bringing the total to 11.

"With the launch of its summer schedule, Etihad Cargo will deliver significant benefits to its partners and customers, thanks to the added belly-hold cargo capacity and enhanced connectivity to key markets," said Stanislas Brun, vice president of Cargo at Etihad Cargo.

"The expansion of the airline's passenger network, in combination with Etihad Cargo's regular and charter freighter services, will substantially increase cargo capacity across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Introducing new routes and increased frequencies will reinforce the connections between Abu Dhabi and major global markets, effectively meeting the growing demand for cargo capacity," he added.

In March 2024, Etihad Cargo launched a fourth US gateway destination, offering belly hold cargo capacity to Boston via four weekly flights.