Etihad Cargo and Virginia agency team up to grow freight through Dulles

Etihad Cargo will work with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) to build up freight traffic through Washington Dulles International Airport, the company said in a statement issued Friday, October 30.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in Miami Beach, Florida, on the sidelines of the Air Cargo Forum 2026, organised by TIACA. Under the deal, they will exchange market information, examine joint projects and look for openings to grow both freight and passenger traffic.

For Virginia, the agreement supports a state push to turn Dulles (IAD) into a stronger international freight hub. The focus falls on shipments that are valuable or time-sensitive, particularly for drug makers, fresh-produce suppliers, energy firms, data centres and cloud computing providers. These sectors, the statement said, depend on reliable worldwide air links to draw investment, support innovation and widen trade.

Etihad Cargo, the freight and logistics arm of Etihad Airways, said its specialist capabilities align with the priorities set out in the memorandum. Its PharmaLife service carries medicines that must stay within set temperature ranges, while FreshForward handles perishable goods. The carrier also moves valuable, urgent and other special shipments across its global network.

Stanislas Brun, Chief Cargo Officer at Etihad Airways, said Virginia’s economy includes sectors with demanding logistics needs, among them pharmaceuticals, fresh food, technology and data-centre infrastructure. He said the airline’s track record with such shipments allows it to bring hands-on expertise, adding that it hopes to share knowledge and explore ways to strengthen cargo links through Dulles.

Eric Jehu, Vice President of Logistics at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, said a freight hub should be measured by the investment and business activity it generates, not simply by tonnage. The state is building up logistics capacity and partnerships so local industries can compete globally, he said, describing the tie-up with Etihad Cargo as a further step toward opening world markets to Virginia companies and strengthening the Commonwealth’s standing as a trade hub.