Etihad Cargo starts twice weekly flight to Brussels Airport

The airline already flies a daily passenger service to Brussels with its supporting bellyhold cargo, and the addition of the freighter underlines Belgium’s importance to its European network.

David Kerr, Vice President of Etihad Cargo, said: “Brussels is an important route into Europe with the freight operation returning to full strength, so as part of our plans to expand further this year, we are pleased to begin operating in and out of the city.

“Brussels provides vital connections across Europe and is also a key connector into Africa so we know that it will be another important route on our global freighter network.”

As a leading European gateway, Brussels Airport will further benefit Etihad Cargo’s operations with its dedicated infrastructure for the transport and handling of products that require an unbroken cold chain, particularly pharmaceutical products and perishables.

Etihad Cargo launched its own specialised product for the pharmaceutical industry, TempCheck, in March 2015. Its service ensures that all temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products including blood plasma, tablets, medicines and anaesthetics are transported in compliance with industry and regulatory guidelines.

TempCheck incorporates the latest equipment, processes and operating procedures to keep all pharmaceutical products within a temperature controlled environment at every stage of the journey. The programme is supervised by experienced Etihad Cargo teams and supporting ground handling staff.

The new freighter connection for Etihad Cargo will provide seamless connectivity over the Abu Dhabi hub to 58 destinations in the carrier’s global network and over 1000 weekly connections.