Etihad Cargo launches ‘Freshfoward’ to facilitate cold chain industry

September 12, 2018: Affirming its support for a cold chain industry, Etihad Cargo has launched FreshForward to its growing list of specialised products.

The new product ensures items such as fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat and flowers move seamlessly across Etihad Cargo’s global network until they reach their final destination. This would also be responsible for importing perishable goods to the UAE.

More specifically at the Abu Dhabi hub, it prioritises the transfer of perishable cargo from the aircraft into a dedicated centre, and subsequently onto reefer trucks to be delivered directly to the customer’s doorstep anywhere in the UAE.

This marks a milestone in the expansion of Etihad’s value chain offering to include last-mile delivery in its home market for select products.

Abdulla Mohamed Shadid, managing director cargo and logistics, Etihad Airways, said, “Etihad Cargo plays a vital role in stimulating the UAE’s imports and exports via our Abu Dhabi hub, and today we are delighted to introduce yet another product that will act as a further catalyst to this. Safe, efficient and timely transport is critical for the UAE’s major importers of fresh produce including supermarket chains, F&B wholesalers, restaurants and florists.”

Etihad Cargo transported over 90,000 tonnes of perishables over the last 12 months. Fruits and vegetables made up more than 37 percent of the total, whilst meat (15,000 tonnes), flowers (19,000 tonnes) and fish (8,000 tonnes) were the other major categories carried by Etihad.

Etihad’s fleet of 109 narrow-body, wide-body and freighter aircraft fly to over 90 destinations globally, and are readily configured for perishable cargo compatibility, applying the highest levels of quality controls.

The Etihad Cargo network connects the UAE with key export markets globally, and also provides seamless transfer in Abu Dhabi for a global cold chain industry that boasts South American flowers, Indian mangoes and Australian lamb as some of its key products.

FreshForward is the latest release in Etihad Cargo’s revised commercial offering to increasingly address premium product segments.