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| Founded | 2003 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubs | Abu Dhabi International Airport | |||
| Frequent flyer program | Etihad Guest | |||
| Member lounge | Etihad Premium Lounge | |||
| Alliance | Arabesk Airline Alliance | |||
| Fleet size | 50 (+109 orders) | |||
| Destinations | 65 incl.cargo destinations | |||
| Company slogan | From Abu Dhabi to the World | |||
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, | |||
| Key people | H.E. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Chairman), James Hogan (CEO) |
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| Website | www.etihadairways.com | |||
Established in 2003, Etihad Airways (Arabic: الإتحاد, ʼal-ʻitiħād) is the flag carrier airline of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Etihad is based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Etihad is the Arabic abbreviation for الإمارات العربية المتحدة - United Arab Emirates. It operates services to the Middle East, Europe, Indian subcontinent, North America, Far East, Africa, Central Asia, and Oceania. Its main base is Abu Dhabi International Airport.[1]
In 2008, it carried more than six million passengers, compared with 340,000 in its first full year of operations in 2004.
Contents |
History
Etihad Airways was established as the national airline of the United Arab Emirates in February 2003 by a royal decree issued by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It started with an initial paid-up capital of AED500 million. Services were launched with a ceremonial flight to Al Ain on 5 November 2003. On 12 November 2003, Etihad started commercial operations with the launch of services to Beirut. In the months that followed, almost one new route was added per month. In the same month, Etihad set up its subsidiary, Etihad Holidays.
In June 2004 the airline flew the first direct flight from the UAE to Geneva followed by Brussels and Toronto in October 2005.
In June 2004, the airline made a US$8-billion order for new aircraft in 2004, which included five Boeing 777-300ERs and 24 Airbus aircraft, including four A380-800s.
By June 2006, the airline had grown to 30 destinations in 30 months. The airline hopes to achieve a target of over 70 destinations by 2010.
In 2008 Etihad carried more than 6 million passengers, compared to 4.6 million in 2007, and flew to over 50 destinations.
Performance
As of 2009[update] the airline has not made a profit since it was founded, but expects to break even in 2010. Growth has never fallen below 40% a year. In its first 4 years, it doubled in size every 6 months, and has every year since.[2]
In the financial year 2008 Etihad carried 6 million passengers and 330,000 tonnes of cargo. International Air Transport Association (IATA) statistics indicate that in 2007 Etihad ranked among the top-ten airlines in the world in terms of growth since its inception in 2003.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has taken the top award at this year’s World Travel Awards (WTA)[3]
Cargo
Etihad Crystal Cargo is Etihad's cargo division, operating two A300-600F cargo aircraft and one MD-11 cargo aircraft . It started operations in September 2004.
Etihad Crystal Cargo is expected to double its turnover of AED361.50 million (US$98.5 million) in 2005 to over AED734 million (US$200 million) in 2006. Crystal handled 115,000 tonnes of cargo in 2005, about 50 per cent of the cargo uplifted from Abu Dhabi International Airport. Etihad’s new facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport will be equipped to handle more than 500,000 tonnes annually. New aircraft, particularly the Airbus A330-200F will play a role in cargo expansion. Etihad has reached an agreement with World Airways to provide additional uplift.
Etihad Crystal Cargo Is also currently operating A300F chartered from ACT Airlines between Abu Dhabi-Sialkot and A300F/DC8 from DHL Express between Dubai-Kabul-Sialkot.
Destinations
As of September 2009 Etihad Airways serves 58 destinations[4] and Etihad Crystal Cargo serves 14 destinations (including 6 destinations served by Etihad Airways also) in 42 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania from its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Beginning on March 1st, 2010 Etihad will fly from Abu Dhabi to Nagoya via Beijing and from March 27th, 2010 to Tokyo's Narita Airport even though this destination is still waiting for regulatory approval.
Etihad has codeshare agreements with the following airlines (as of November 2009):
Fleet
The entire fleet as of December 8, 2009: [9] [10] [11]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Options | Purchase Rights | Passengers (Diamond/Pearl/Coral) |
Haul | Entry Into Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319-100 | 2 | – | – | – | 104 (0/20/84) | Asia, Europe | In Service |
| Airbus A320-200 | 13 | 20 | 5 | 15 | 140 (0/20/120) 136 (0/16/120) |
Africa, Asia, Europe | In Service |
| Airbus A330-200 | 16 | – | – | – | 200 (10/26/164) 216 (12/24/180) 262 (0/22/240) |
Africa, Asia, Europe | In Service |
| Airbus A330-300 | – | 6 | – | – | TBD | TBD | Late 2009 |
| Airbus A340-500 | 4 | – | – | – | 240 (12/28/200) | Europe, North America, Oceania | In Service |
| Airbus A340-600 | 7 | – | – | – | 286 (12/30/244) 292 (12/32/248) |
Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania | In service |
| Airbus A350-1000 | – | 25 | 10 | 15 | TBD | TBD | 2017 |
| Airbus A380-800 | – | 10 | 5 | 5 | TBD | TBD | 2012 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 5 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 378 (0/28/350) | Asia, North America | In Service |
| Boeing 787-9 | – | 35 | 25 | 10 | TBD | TBD | 2014 |
| Etihad Crystal Cargo Fleet | |||||||
| Airbus A300-600RF | 2 | – | – | – | 97,000 lbs | In Service | |
| Airbus A330-200F | – | 2 | – | – | 152,100 lbs | 2010 | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11F | 1 | – | – | – | 203,860 lbs | In Service | |
| Total | 50 | 109 | 54 | 50 | |||
Cabin
Diamond Zone
First Class is known as the Diamond Zone[12]. The Diamond first class Suites have seats that rotate 180 degrees and recline into 6'8" flat beds. each Diamond Suite has a privacy shell that ensures maximum privacy and direct access to the aisles; within this space there are a coatroom, a mini-bar, a fold-and-swivel meal table, an integrated personal mirror, a magazine rack, a reading light and a desk lamp. Each Diamond seat has pneumatic lumbar support, a six-way movement headrest and a built-in massage facility. Each Diamond Suite has a 23" personal LCD.
The Diamond First Class Zone will be changed throughout the long-haul fleet with new suites and changed toilets. Pearl Business Class will have adjustments to its seats (wider armrests, bigger tv screens, closing up the TV to the seat, and bigger dining tables).
Pearl Zone
Business Class is known as the Pearl Zone[13]. The Pearl business class seats recline to 180 degrees into a fully flat 6'1" Business Bed. It has an 88" pitch and direct access to the aisle for plenty space and privacy. Each self-contained seat is eqiupped with individual lighting and a reading light. There is also a build-in massage facility.
Each Pearl Business seat has a 15" personal LCD screen. Aircraft also have in-flight telephony.
Coral Zone
Economy Class is known as the Coral Zone[14]. The Coral economy class seats feature lumbar support, headrests and foot rests and up to 33 inch seat pitch. Each Coral Economy seat has a 10.6" personal LCD screen. The Coral Zone also includes In-flight Telephony.
In-flight entertainment
Etihad uses the Thales TopSeries i5000 [15] in-flight entertainment system with AVOD (audio-video on demand) system on its new long-range aircraft and on some of its new A320-200 aircraft. Internatinal destination fleets have a Plug-And-Play system which works on USB technology, that allow passengers to play their own audio, video and picture media. The Airbus A330-200, Airbus A340-500, Airbus A340-600 and Boeing 777-300ER have in-flight telephony.
Etihad Guest
Etihad Guest is the airline's frequent flyer program, launched August 30, 2006. It offers a discount web shop for loyalty program members.
Etihad is not part of any airline alliance, but has a partnership agreement with Qantas, Brussels Airlines, Oman Air and Jet Airways.
Company data and management structure
In the financial year 2008, Etihad carried 6 million passengers and 330,000 tonnes of cargo[16]. Etihad has 6,300 members of staff which includes around 3,000 cabin crew and 600 pilots.
Board of directors
Etihad is governed by a board of directors chaired by HH Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, HH Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan being the vice chairman and operates in terms of its founding legislation and the Article of Association of the Company. The Board consists of seven independent non-executive members and has two sub-committees, being an Executive Committee and an Audit Committee, each with its own charter and chairman.
Management team
The airline is led by James Hogan (formerly CEO of Gulf Air) who was appointed as Chief Executive Officer in October 2006.
Corporate sponsorship
- Etihad is a sponsor of UAE sports clubs, including the Abu Dhabi Rugby Union Football Club, the Abu Dhabi International Sailing School and the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC), as well as the Al-Jazira Club.
- For the 2007 season, Etihad was one of the title sponsors for the Etihad Aldar Spyker F1 Team. Because the team was purchased by the chairman of another airline (Vijay Mallya, of Kingfisher Airlines), Etihad switched to Scuderia Ferrari from 2008 onwards.
- On July 30, 2007 it was announced that Etihad Airways would become the main sponsor of Harlequins rugby club and Harlequins Rugby League club (UK). The sponsorship also includes renaming the East Stand at the Twickenham Stoop Stadium (the home of Harlequins) to the Etihad Stand. Etihad's logo is painted on the roof of the stand which is under the flight path to London Heathrow Airport.
- On 18 December 2007 Etihad announced that they would become the title sponsor for the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to be held on Yas Island.
- On 19 March 2008 it was announced that Etihad Airways would become a main sponsor for the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship from 2008-10.
- In October 2008, it was announced that Etihad would take over sponsorship of the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne (previously known as the Telstra Dome). The name change to Etihad Stadium took effect on March 1, 2009.
- In May 2009, it was also announced that Etihad would be the official sponsor of Manchester City Football Club.[17]
- Etihad also holds another aircraft line maintenance facility at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore (Pakistan). The second largest facility outside the UAE.[18]
Awards
Etihad Airways has received over 30 awards since its inauguration in 2003. It has a four star rating by Skytrax. It is currently voted the number 1 airline for having the best business class in the world; by over 6 million travellers throughout the world who have travelled with Etihad Airways. It has also dominated awards for having the best first class in the world, winning it for the second time in the last two years; which were awarded by the WTA - 'World Travel Awards' association.
In November 2009 Etihad Airways won the "World's Leading Airline" award at the World Travel Awards in London. This award is a first for any Middle East airline.
Incidents and accidents
Etihad Airways has had no fatal accidents and no major accidents in revenue service.
- On 15 November 2007 an Airbus A340-600 due to be delivered to Etihad ran into a concrete blast fence during an engine test at the Airbus factory at Toulouse Blagnac International Airport, France. This was due to the crew not following proper test procedures, raising all four engines to maximum thrust while the wheels were un-chocked. The attempt to steer away from the wall resulted in decreased braking power. Five people were injured and the aircraft was written off.[19][20]
Controversy
- On 27 April 2007 two Australian businessmen gained international notoriety after behaving badly aboard an Etihad flight to Abu Dhabi.[21] David Andrew Evans and Jeremy Harvey David were drunk, stripping naked and offering flight attendants money for sex. The pair were detained in an Abu Dhabi prison for six weeks, telling news reporters they were treated inhumanely and were forced to live off "fermented camel meat".[22] The men were eventually convicted of sexual harassment, given suspended jail sentences, and deported from the United Arab Emirates.[23] They were also fined 1,000 Dirhams for drinking alcohol aboard an Etihad flight without a alcohol permit.[24] The Australians' lawyer later said that they would sue Etihad Airways.[25] The men were later dropped from the board of directors of the mining company they represented.
References
- ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International: p. 78. 2007-04-03.
- ^ Rise of the Emirates Empire CNN Money, October 1, 2005
- ^ http://www.etihadairways.com/sites/Etihad/in/en/aboutetihad/mediacenter/newslisting/newsdetails/Pages/Etihadvotedworldsbestairlinenov09.aspx?fromNewsListing=true
- ^ Etihad Airways Route Map
- ^ http://finance.yahoo.com/news/American-Airlines-and-Etihad-prnews-1011852478.html?x=0&.v=1
- ^ http://www.etihadairways.com/sites/Etihad/in/en/aboutetihad/mediacenter/newslisting/newsdetails/Pages/Etihadsignsnewcodesharedealnov.aspx?fromNewsListing=true
- ^ Gulfnews: Etihad in code-share deal with Jet Airways
- ^ http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=302734&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16
- ^ Our Fleet
- ^ http://www.etihadmediacentre.com/assets/89327434/files/Corporate_Facts_and_figures-English.pdf
- ^ Fleet Information - Crystal Cargo
- ^ Diamond First Class
- ^ Pearl Business Class
- ^ Coral Economy Class
- ^ Etihad Airways selects the Thales Inflight Entertainment System for its entire fleet
- ^ "ITCA Dubai Market Information". ITCA Dubai. n/a. http://www.itcadubai.com/aboutitcadubai/marketinformation_en_gb.aspx. Retrieved 2007-09-16.
- ^ "Etihad Airways to sponsor Manchester City". Manchester City F.C.. 2009-05-24. http://www.mcfc.co.uk/default.sps?pageid=115&pagegid={DBD12D53-8346-431D-A04F-5D0F8664DE80}&newsid=6633121&siteid=&pageno=&newscategory=&frommonth=3&fromyear=2009&tomonth=5&toyear=2009. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
- ^ Etihad Airways opens dedicated aircraft line maintenance facility in Lahore Pakistan
- ^ "Violation of test procedures led to Toulouse A340-600 crash". Flight Global. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/12/10/319969/violation-of-test-procedures-led-to-toulouse-a340-600.html. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
- ^ "Accident survenu le 15 novembre 2007 sur l’aérodrome de Toulouse Blagnac à l’Airbus A340-600 numéro de série 856" (in French). Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile. http://www.bea.aero/docspa/2007/f-cj071115/pdf/f-cj071115.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
- ^ Wainwright, Robert (2007-06-09). "First-class fracas, but facts remain in a sky-high fog". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/fracas-facts-in-skyhigh-fog/2007/06/08/1181089328724.html. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
- ^ Haynes, Rhys (2007-05-29). "Aussie 'held in stifling cell, fed camel meat'". Herald Sun. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21812937-663,00.html. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
- ^ Carter, Paul (2007-06-05). "Deported Aussies being flown home". news.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21856313-1702,00.html. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
- ^ "Men detained in UAE consider legal action". The Age. 2007-06-06. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/men-detained-in-uae-consider-legal-action/2007/06/07/1181089159239.html. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
- ^ Wainwright, Robert (2007-06-06). "Deported businessmen set to sue airline". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/deported-businessmen-set-to-sue-airline/2007/06/06/1180809558078.html. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
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