Etihad Airways and Chinese cargo carrier SF Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to increase cooperation, building on an earlier reciprocal block-space agreement.

In April, Etihad Cargo and SF Airlines entered into a block-space agreement under which Etihad launched 2X-weekly freighter flights between Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH) and Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH), with cargo able to transfer via WUH to and from SF Airlines’ domestic services.

“The new flights have given Etihad Cargo's partners and customers greater accessibility to 25 domestic Chinese destinations, including Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Nanjing,” Etihad says in a statement, adding that the MOU “expands the cooperation between the two airlines and strengthens their commitment to exploring additional opportunities to achieve mutual growth and expand their respective networks via the Abu Dhabi and Wuhan mega-hubs."

The airlines in the future will cooperate on flights to Ezhou Huahu Airport (EHU), a cargo-focused airport in Hubei province where SF Airlines has a hub. Etihad says it is looking to operate flights between AUH and EHU.

“Under the new agreement, Etihad Cargo and SF Airlines will review the schedule of services between Abu Dhabi and Wuhan with a view to increasing frequencies, thereby ensuring the airlines can meet increasing capacity demands from customers and partners in the UAE, China and around the world,” Etihad says.