Etihad Cargo, the freight division of United Arab Emirates (UAE) carrier Etihad Airways, has unveiled a new Equine service called SkyStables, targeted at customers around the world wishing to transport horses and other similar species by air.

Supervised by expert managers, SkyStables offers owners, breeders and equestrian organisations bespoke global transport arrangements on Etihad Cargo’s fleet of 10 Airbus and Boeing wide-body freighters. The service is being rolled-out across Etihad Cargo’s scheduled network of 44 freighter destinations with personalised charter services to other cities also available.

Horses travel in dedicated stalls equipped with anti-slip floors, which are then loaded in temperature controlled sections of the aircraft. Throughout the flight, the animals can be attended to by their grooms, ensuring arrival at their destination fit and healthy.

Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways chief strategy and planning officer, said: “Our new global SkyStables product is a tangible example of innovation being at the very forefront of how we continue to develop our business by adding more services for new and existing customers.

“SkyStables goes beyond simply meeting the safety, security and reliability needs of equine owners, offering a more comprehensive air transport solution which is overseen by dedicated and fully trained Etihad Cargo equine managers.

“The animals are well looked after prior to, during and after the flight, and combined with a dedicated handling team and facilities at our Abu Dhabi hub, we also have approved export and import processes in place with local UAE customs and police, in addition to a full veterinary service at Abu Dhabi International Airport.”