Etihad steps up service to Ohio hub

Etihad is to start a second weekly 777F freighter service to Rickenbacker on May 12 following a new $40m agreement with transport firm Trinity Logistics and the Ohio airport.
According to Etihad Cargo senior vice president, David Kerr two new major customers have been secured for the second frequency and their business will make a significant impact on export traffic.
He said: “The shippers taking advantage of this route have come to expect a high level of service, speed and predictability in their supply chains. We understand the unique needs of our clients and are committed to being responsive and flexible. We place great value in our strong partnership with Trinity as we continue to build out for the future.”
Trinity Logistics president, David Pereira, added: “Our long-term partnered service with Etihad has proven to be very successful with our clients,” said. “Expanding the contract is a fundamental step toward our commitment to provide best in class service options for our clients and development of our East Coast hub at LCK.”
The new service will operate from Colombo in Sri Lanka to Columbus and on to Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub. The existing service, launched in 2016, will continue to operate on its Colombo–Columbus–East Midlands–Abu Dhabi routing.
The increased capacity cater for the movement of high fashion from Sri Lanka to US retailers as well as US exports to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
President and chief executive of Columbus Regional Airport Authority, Elaine Roberts commented: “Central Ohio and the surrounding region is truly a hub for the logistics industry, making Rickenbacker an ideal global gateway for both imports and exports. The partnership with Trinity and Etihad has proven to be very valuable and we couldn’t be happier to see it expand.”
Other carriers at Rickenbacker include Cargolux, Cathay Pacifi and Emirates SkyCargo, along with integrators FedEx and UPS.