Armaguard will establish a presence in Etihad’s home base of Abu Dhabi under its international brand, ACM.

Etihad CEO James Hogan said: “This new joint venture allows Etihad to enhance our growing global air freight business by leveraging the ground transport and security expertise of Armaguard to offer a new service for our freight customers across our extensive global network. The ability to transport precious cargo including jewelery, precious stones, gold and artworks is an important next step for our cargo business — particularly given Abu Dhabi’s growing reputation as a capital for arts and culture, with world-famous organizations like the Louvre and the Guggenheim in the pipeline,”

Armaguard managing director Keith Broadhouse said the company had been looking to expand its cash logistics, currency management and precious cargo operations beyond Australia and New Zealand for some time.

Hogan added, “Etihad is building a significant presence in Australia, with several strong partnerships — including our game-changing alliance with the Virgin Blue Group — and bases established across the country.”