Etihad Cargo offers freight discounts to fly cars

When the weather becomes unbearably hot in the Gulf, the world’s most expensive luxury cars, bearing Arabic-language license plates, start appearing in front of luxury stores in London and other major European cities. For these jetsetters with a penchant for navigating foreign motorways in their favorite luxury cars, relief is now in sight. Etihad Cargo now offers up to 20 percent off air cargo rates and seat prices when passengers book first or business class.

Etihad’s service is now offered from Abu Dhabi to destinations including Amsterdam, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, London, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris and Zurich. Upgrades and expansions to the passenger fleet have made it possible to transport vehicles in the bellyhold of Etihad’s widebody aircraft.

David Kerr, senior vice president of Etihad Cargo, explained that “through our use of a mixed fleet of aircraft, we have a range of options that enable us to transport cars in the hold, including some of the new additions to our fleet, such as the Airbus 380s.”

According to the airline, demand for this service has grown steadily over the years, apparently unchecked by declines in oil prices and a tightening of the royal purse strings in countries like Saudi Arabia. Rather, the airline reported that with “additional aircraft and supporting services being added to the fleet this year, the cargo team is aiming to increase those numbers during 2016.”