Etihad

Etihad commences flights between Abu Dhabi and Baghdad

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has commenced non-stop flights from its home base in Abu Dhabi to Baghdad, becoming the first airline in the UAE to operate to the Iraqi capital.

VIP passengers on the inaugural flight, which departed from Abu Dhabi Airport at 10.00 am yesterday (April 26) included the His Excellency Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Shehhi, the UAE Ambassador to Iraq, and Dr Abdulelah Al-Jumaili, Cultural Attaché and Mr Ahmed Jaber, Acting Charge d’Affairs, of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq.

Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, said: “These new services are an important step for Etihad and for the UAE, reflecting a commitment to strengthening ties in the region.”

“We believe demand on the route will build quickly, particularly from government and business travellers. We also expect to see strong interest from people from Iraq connecting through Abu Dhabi to Etihad’s extensive global network.”

Etihad operates five return services per week to Baghdad, using two-class Airbus A320 aircraft, and will expand its operation with two additional A320 return services to a second Iraq destination – Erbil – from June 1, subject to government and regulatory approvals.

The Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, James Hogan (centre), farewelled the first Etihad flight to Baghdad, which departed from Abu Dhabi at 10.00 am on April 26. VIPs on board the first flight included Mr Ahmed Jaber, Acting Charge d’Affairs, Embassy of the Republic or Iraq (left of James Hogan), His Excellency Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Shehhi, the UAE Ambassador to Iraq and Dr Abdulelah Al-Jumaili, Cultural Attache, Embassy of the Republic or Iraq (right of James Hogan)

Etihad’s flight EY555 to Baghdad departs Abu Dhabi on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10.00am, arriving at Baghdad’s international airport at 11.25am the same day. The return flight, EY554, departs Baghdad on the same days at 12.30pm, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 3.50pm.

Etihad Crystal Cargo launch service to Erbil

Etihad Crystal Cargo, a division of Etihad Airways, has launched a weekly service from its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport to Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The service operates an A300-600F freighter to Erbil with a payload of 42 tonnes on the route. Flights commenced last month on March 26 and will operate every Tuesday and Saturday.

Cargo flights to Erbil are Etihad’s second cargo service to Iraq, following a twice weekly service to Baghdad.

Des Vertannes, Executive Vice President of Cargo said: “We are very pleased to be operating our  second service to Iraq.

“Our service to Baghdad has built a strong customer base in the country and we look forward to continuing our contribution to developing commercial ties between the UAE and Iraq.”

With its fleet of two Airbus A300-600 aircraft and two MD11, Etihad Crystal Cargo has 22 cargo freighter destinations in the Middle East and Africa and 70 destinations across the globe.

Etihad Airways to commence services to Iraq

Etihad Airways has announced it will commence flights from Abu Dhabi to Baghdad on starting on the 2th April, subject to government and regulatory approvals, becoming the first airline in the UAE to fly to Iraq.

Etihad will operate five return services per week to Baghdad, operated by two-class Airbus A320 aircraft, and will expand its operation with two additional A320 return services to a second Iraq destination – Erbil – from June 1, subject to government and regulatory approvals.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways Chief Executive, said: “We are committed to building and strengthening ties in our region and we are pleased that Etihad will be the first airline in the UAE to fly to Iraq.

“We expect to see strong demand on these routes, particularly from government and business travellers, as well as people from Iraq visiting family and friends around the world.

“We launched a cargo operation to Baghdad in September 2009, and have recently commenced additional cargo flights to Erbil, which we expect will perform well for Etihad.”

Mr Hogan said the timing of the new services offered air travellers convenient onward connections via Abu Dhabi to a number of key destinations across the airline’s global network, including the GCC and Middle East, Australia, China, Europe, Japan, North America and the Philippines.

“We are grateful to the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and the Iraq Civil Aviation Authority for their support, which has enabled us to move forward with these important new services.”

Etihad’s flight EY555 to Baghdad will depart Abu Dhabi on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10.00am and arrive at Baghdad’s international airport at 11.25am the same day. The return flight, EY554, will depart Baghdad on the same days at 12.30pm, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 3.50pm.

Flight EY557 to Erbil will depart Abu Dhabi at 10.00am on Tuesdays and Sundays, arriving in Erbil at 11.50am. The return flight, EY558, will depart Erbil at 1.00pm on the same days, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 4.40pm.

Etihad Crystal Cargo launches service to N'djamena

Etihad Crystal Cargo, a division of Etihad Airways, has announced it will launch a weekly service from its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport to N’djamena, the capital of the Republic of Chad.

The service commenced last month on March 22 and will operate every Monday to N’djamena. Etihad will be deploying an MD11 freighter with a payload of 88 tonnes on the route.

N’djamena will be Etihad’s first cargo-only destination in Chad and in the region of Central Africa.

Des Vertannes, Executive Vice President of Cargo, said: 

“Trade and business ties between the UAE and Chad continue to grow and we look forward to developing our local partnerships and build a strong customer base in the country, which is widely considered one of the region’s fastest growing economies.

We are very pleased to launch Etihad’s first services to Chad and assist in the development of the country’s economy.”

With its fleet of two Airbus A300-600 aircraft and two MD11, Etihad Crystal Cargo has 21 cargo freighter destinations in the Middle East and Africa and 69 destinations across the globe.

Flight schedule:

Etihad Airways launches its first codeshare agreement out of Pakistan with American Airlines

Etihad Airways has announced its first codeshare operation out of Pakistan with American Airlines, providing air travellers in Pakistan with greater access to the US market.

The new codeshare agreement starts on March 18 and will offer customers in Pakistan easy and convenient connections between Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore and key destinations in the US, including Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Miami  and Houston. The expansion follows the original codeshare agreement made between Etihad Airways and American Airlines in September 2009.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The US is a key market for Etihad and a popular destination for many of our customers in Pakistan. Etihad has seen substantial growth to and from the US over the past few years and we are committed to strengthening the ties between the Pakistan and US markets through this new codeshare.

“As our first codeshare out of Pakistan, we are delighted to partner with American Airlines, one of the world’s largest and most respected airlines and we look forward to strengthening this strategic relationship further into the future.”

Passengers transferring between the two carriers will be able to purchase a single ticket for their journey and enjoy the convenience of being able to check in luggage through to their final destination.

Etihad Airways currently places its ‘EY’ code on a number of transatlantic services operated by American Airlines between Europe and the US, as well as selected domestic services operated beyond New York and Chicago. The carriers recently confirmed that American Airlines will also place its  ‘AA’ code on Etihad services from Kuwait city, with Etihad placing its two letter ‘EY’ code onto American Airlines operations to Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis via Chicago.

Etihad Airways currently flies to three destinations in North America – New York, Chicago and Toronto in Canada – and started operations to Pakistan in 2004 with flights to and from Karachi.  Etihad now offers services to Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore as well as 13 destinations in the Indian Subcontinent and 60 destinations across the globe

American Airlines currently operates transatlantic services from New York to Barcelona, Brussels, Milan, London, Paris, Rome and Zurich; Chicago to Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Manchester, Moscow, New Delhi, Paris and Rome; Miami to London, Madrid and Paris; Dallas/Fort Worth to London, Madrid, Paris and Frankfurt; Los Angeles to London; and Raleigh/Durham to London.

Etihad signs full content agreement with Travelport

Etihad Airways and Travelport, one of the world’s leading global distribution system (GDS) providers, have signed a five-year full content agreement to provide travel agents connected to Galileo and Worldspan worldwide with access to all of the airline’s published inventory of flights and fares.

Wayne Pearce, Etihad Airways’ Chief of Strategy and Planning said: “As a rapidly-expanding airline, we are delighted to have reached a cost-effective distribution agreement with Travelport that will see all our published flight inventory and fares made available to its extensive network of travel agency users worldwide.”

“We are proud to have reached a mutually beneficial agreement with Etihad Airways that demonstrates the continued value of the travel agency channel and builds on our successful track record of reaching full content deals with flag carriers across the globe,” said Matthew Hall, Travelport GDS’ Vice President of Airline Development, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Etihad expands codeshare flights in Australia

Etihad Airways has increased the destinations available for passengers travelling to Australia by expanding its codeshare agreement with Qantas.

As part of the agreement, the Etihad two-letter ‘EY’ code is now placed on flights from Sydney to Ayers Rock (Uluru), Alice Springs, Canberra, Hobart and Melbourne and flights from Brisbane to Cairns.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said: “The expansion of this codeshare agreement with Qantas reaffirms our commitment to passengers around the world who are flying to Australia and want to visit towns and cities outside the key gateways.”

The new routes are in addition to the services that were part of the initial codeshare agreement, which commenced in March 2009 and include flights between Sydney and Brisbane, Sydney and Cairns, Sydney and Adelaide, and Melbourne and Adelaide, as well as Sydney to Auckland in New Zealand.

Aside from the codeshare expansion, Etihad recently secured 14 additional weekly flight frequencies from its Abu Dhabi home-base to Australia.

Within the new flight allocation, which is available from March 2011, seven flights can be operated to any gateway in Australia. This includes Etihad’s current destinations of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

A further seven weekly flights were granted on the condition that the operation also flies via or onto a regional airport.

New on-board health monitior system to be introduced on Etihad aircraft

Etihad Airways will install new state-of-the-art technology on its long and ultra long haul aircraft which can monitor the condition of passengers who display signs of sickness that might require immediate medical attention.

The “Tempus IC” system allows cabin crew to gather vital information about a passenger’s health quickly and efficiently. The data covers a wide range of the passenger’s ‘vital signs’ including blood pressure and an electrocardiogram. It also allows the crew to take photo imagery.

That information is then transmitted to a medical team of global experts specialised in assistance in in-flight medical contingencies. Following their advice the crew will take a decision about what to do next for the passenger and the flight.

Captain Richard Hill, Etihad Airways’ chief operations officer, said: “Passenger welfare and safety is of the utmost importance to Etihad Airways and the introduction of the Tempus IC system will ensure that when medical emergencies do occur they are evaluated quickly.

“This helps ensure that the passenger can receive the appropriate treatment when the aircraft lands, whether this is as a diversion or at its final destination.”

Etihad will introduce the Tempus IC technology, designed and manufactured by UK-based RDT, on its A340 and Boeing 777 aircraft and then subsequently across the remaining long and ultra long haul fleet.

Grahame Fever, Commercial Aviation Sales Director RDT, said: “We are delighted that Etihad has chosen RDT ‘s Tempus on-board telemedicine technology. 

“We know from our existing Tempus customers and the in-flight trials with Etihad cabin crew that Tempus technology, with its unique ease-of-use help screens and features, makes a significant difference to quality and speed of on-board medical care.”

Etihad increase flights to Australia

Etihad Airways has secured seven additional weekly flight frequencies from its Abu Dhabi home-base to Australia.

The additional flights were awarded following bilateral negotiations between the UAE and Australian Government in Canberra this week.

The seven flights can be operated to any gateway in Australia which includes Etihad’s current destinations of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

A further seven weekly flights have been granted to Etihad on the condition that the operation also flies via or onto a regional airport.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive officer, said: “The announcement that Etihad Airways has been granted up to 14 additional flights each week is an indication of the airline’s deepening bond with Australia.

“We are committed to this important market and look forward to carrying greater numbers of business and leisure travellers from destinations across Etihad’s expanding network to Australia.”

Etihad currently flies 21 times a week between Abu Dhabi and Australia. This includes 11 flights to Sydney, seven to Melbourne and three to Brisbane. The new flight slots will available from March 2011.

Following the announcement of the new agreement, Etihad has access to a total of 42 flights a week in to Australia, 35 direct to gateways and seven via or onto regional hubs.

Since launching its first flights to Sydney in 2007 Etihad has carried 787,000 passengers to and from Australia.

Etihad currently employs more than 80 members of staff in three cities in Australia and maintains seven premises, including a dedicated aircraft maintenance facility at Sydney International Airport.

Its partnership with Australia also includes many community initiatives that include substantial sponsorship and in-kind support of sporting, cultural, community and charitable organisations.

The airline also secured in 2009 a five-year naming rights deal for the 55,000 seater docklands stadium in Melbourne which is now recognised across the world as the Etihad Stadium.

Mr Hogan added: “Etihad’s presence in Australia continues to grow considerably. We are proud to have made significant investments in our work force and infrastructure in Australia as well as build strong ties with airports, airlines, tourism industry bodies and state governments.”

Etihad's Chief Commercial Officer wins top Sales and Marketing Award

Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, Peter Baumgartner, has been voted ‘Sales and Marketing Manager of the Year’ at the 2009 Aviation Business Awards, an annual awards program which celebrates and pays tribute to the people and organisations who have established the GCC as an industry leader on the global stage.

Peter Baumgartner was recognised for his role in helping to build Etihad’s world class global brand and for his unrelenting focus on product and service offerings. The award is the latest in a string of prestigious awards the national airline of the United Arab Emirates and its staff have collected recently, including the World Travel Award for ‘World’s Leading Airline’.

Peter Baumgartner said: “I am thrilled to receive this great honour at the 2009 Aviation Business Awards and for Etihad to be recognised in this way.

“As a relatively young airline, we have a unique opportunity to create and implement a leading brand from scratch. Our company’s sales and marketing strategies are focused on challenging accepted industry standards at a time when the window of opportunity remains open.

“Quality product and customer service excellence is undoubtedly an area where an airline can stand out from the crowd. We are committed to ensuring Etihad remains the number one choice of air travellers and that our reputation for quality and respect is closely aligned to everything we offer.”

The marketing strategy Etihad has employed over the past year to enrich its brand is based on a philosophy of Inspired Service – on the ground and in the air, a concept that dovetails with Etihad’s vision to become the best airline in the world and supports one of its core values: sharing the warmth and hospitality of modern Arabia with the world. Inspired Service aims to make flying personal for each customer by offering a tailored experience.