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| Founded | 2003 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubs | Abu Dhabi International Airport | |||
| Frequent-flyer program | Etihad Guest | |||
| Airport lounge | Etihad Premium Lounge | |||
| Fleet size | 63 (+108 orders) | |||
| Destinations | 70 passenger destinations | |||
| Company slogan | From Abu Dhabi to the World | |||
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates[1] | |||
| Key people |
Chairman of the Board
Vice Chairman of the Board Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Commercial Officer
Chief Operations Officer
Chief People and Performance Officer |
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| Website | www.etihadairways.com | |||
Etihad Airways (Arabic: الإتحاد, ʼal-ʻitiħād(meaning "The Union")) is one of the flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates. Established in July 2003 and based in Abu Dhabi, Etihad commenced operations in November 2003.[2]
The airline operates more than 1,200 flights per week to over 70 destinations in nearly 50 countries, with a fleet of over 60 Airbus and Boeing aircraft.[2] In 2010 Etihad carried 7.1 million passengers, a 13.1% increased compared with 2009.[3] Despite record revenues of nearly US$3,000 million in 2010, the airline has never been profitable.[3]
Etihad was awarded the World's Leading Airline in 2009[4] and 2010[5] by the World Travel Awards.
In addition to its core activity of passenger transportation, Etihad also operates Etihad Holidays and Etihad Crystal Cargo.[2] The airline is based at Abu Dhabi International Airport[6] and its head office is in Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi.
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Etihad Airways was established as the flag carrier of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in July 2003 by Royal (Amiri) 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 commenced commercial operations with the launch of services to Beirut, and has gone on to become the fastest growing airline in the history of commercial aviation.
In June 2004, the airline made an US$8-billion aircraft order for five Boeing 777-300ERs and 24 Airbus aircraft, including four A380-800s. The airline announced what was the largest aircraft order in commercial aviation history at the Farnborough International Air show in 2008, for up to 205 aircraft – 100 firm orders, 55 options and 50 purchase rights.
As of January 2011, the airline operates services to 66 destinations around the world from its home base in Abu Dhabi.
In 2010 Etihad carried more than 7 million passengers, up from 4.6 million in 2007.
In 2010, seat load-factor was 74 per cent.
The key trends for Etihad Airways since it started trading in November 2003 are shown below (as at year ending 31 December) [7] [8] [9] :
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover (AEDb) | 5.6 | 9.1 | 8.4 | 10.9 | ||||
| Profits* | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | ||||
| Number of employees | 1,761 | 2,116 | 3,468 | 5,563 | 7,058 | 7,828 | 7,855 | |
| Number of passengers (m) | <0.1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 7.1 |
| Passenger load factor (%) | 70 | 75 | 74 | 74 | ||||
| Cargo carried (000s tonnes) | 115 | 202 | 263 | |||||
| Number of aircraft (at year end) | 6 | 12 | 22 | 37 | 42 | 52 | 57 |
Etihad has its head office in Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi,[10] near Abu Dhabi International Airport.[11] Etihad spent 183.6 million UAE dirhams ($50 million USD) in 2007 to arrange to have its new head office and training center built. The new head office was scheduled to be finished by the end of 2007.[12]
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.
Other member of the BoD included: Mohammed Mubarak Fadel Al Mazrouei, Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, Hamad Abdullah Al Shamsi and Khalifa Sultan Al Suwaidi[13]
The airline is led by James Hogan (formerly CEO of Gulf Air) who was appointed as Chief Executive Officer in October 2006.
Etihad Airways posted a 39 percent jump in its third-quarter revenues in 2011 as the unlisted carrier grew its network and increased passenger numbers. Revenues rose to $1.1 billion in the quarter compared with $785 million in the same period last year. Seat factor increased 3.8 percent to 80.7 percent, the highest in any quarter since the airline began operations.[16][17]
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.
Despite record revenues of nearly US$3,000 million in 2010, Etihad Airways has never been profitable.[3]
Etihad Crystal Cargo is Etihad's cargo division, operating two A330-200F, two A300-600F and two MD-11F 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.
As of July 2011 Etihad serves 70 destinations [18] 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 Australasia from its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Etihad Airways has codeshare agreements with the following airlines (as of 19 December 2011[update]):[19]
ST = Sky Team, SA = Star Alliance, OW = Oneworld
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Etihad also codeshare with French Railways SNCF.[21]
The Etihad Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of 23 August 2011):[22][23][24]
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Options | Passengers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | J | Y | Total | ||||
| Airbus A319-100 | 2 | — | — | — | 20 | 90 | 110 |
| Airbus A320-200 | 14 | 19 | 20 | — | 16 | 120 | 136 |
| — | 20 | 120 | 140 | ||||
| — | — | 164 | 164 | ||||
| Airbus A330-200 | 16 | — | — | 10 | 26 | 164 | 200 |
| — | 22 | 240 | 262 | ||||
| Airbus A330-300 | 6 | — | — | 12 | 40 | 151 | 203 |
| 8 | 32 | 191 | 231 | ||||
| Airbus A340-500 | 4 | — | — | 12 | 28 | 200 | 240 |
| Airbus A340-600 | 7 | — | — | 12 | 32 | 248 | 292 |
| Airbus A350-1000 | — | 25 | 25 | TBA | |||
| Airbus A380-800 | — | 10 | 10 | TBA | |||
| Boeing 777-300ER | 8 | 10 | 14 | — | 28 | 384 | 412 |
| Boeing 787-9 | — | 41 | 25 | TBA | |||
| Etihad Crystal Cargo Fleet | |||||||
| Airbus A300-600RF | 2 | — | — | 97,000 lbs | |||
| Airbus A330-200F | 2 | — | — | 152,100 lbs | |||
| Boeing 777F | 1 | 2 | — | 225,000 lbs | |||
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11F | 2 | — | — | 203,860 lbs | |||
| Total | 63 | 108 | 94 | ||||
Etihad Crystal Cargo is the launch customer of the Airbus A330-200F, and received the first aircraft on 20 July 2010 during the Farnborough Airshow.[25]
First class is known as the Diamond Zone. There are currently two styles of Diamond First Class seats depending on plane configuration:
1) A cloth upholstered seat that can rotate 180 degrees to enable dining across from one another. These seats also have a relatively large diffuse light that serves as a tray table illuminator for both work and dining. Each seat converts into a flat 6'8" bed. These seats are relatively older and are found on A330-200.
2)The newer Poltrona Frau leather seat sits wihin a suite complete with privacy sliders. These seats do not rotate 180 degrees, but still convert into a 6'8" fully flat bed. These new seats also have i-Pod connectivity. These new suites are on most 340-500/600 and 330-300 aircraft. [26]
Both seats have 23 inch LCD screens, a personal minibar, inbuilt massage, inseat power, video connectivity, and personal wardrobe. Onboard chefs serve Diamond First Class passengers on select routes. All first class passengers have access to the "Kitchen Anytime" dining options which allows passengers to choose when they have their meals during the flight. On selected routes passengers have an option of a degustation menu with accompanied wines. All first class passengers have access to the Diamond First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi, London, Frankfurt, Dublin, and Manchester, as well as affiliate lounges in other cities.
Business class is known as the Pearl Zone. The Pearl Business Class seats recline to 180 degrees into a fully flat 1.85m (6'1") business bed.[27] It has an 2.2m (88") pitch and direct access to the aisle for space and privacy. Each self-contained seat is equipped with individual lighting and a reading light. The Pearl Business seats each has a 38 cm (15") personal LCD screen. Aircraft also have in-flight telephone. There is also a built-in massage facility.The 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).
Economy class is known as the Coral Zone.[28] 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 27 cm (10.7") personal LCD screen. The Coral Zone also includes in-flight telephone.
Etihad uses both the Panasonic eX2 and the Thales TopSeries i5000 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. Etihad brand this system as the 'E-box'. International 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 A330s, Airbus A340s and Boeing 777-300ER all have in-flight telephone facility.
Etihad has signed a new 10 year agreement with Panasonic Avionics Corporation for the provision of in-flight entertainment which will include broadband internet and live-tv. [29]
Etihad Guest is the airline's frequent flyer program, launched on 30 August 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:
Etihad has released information on a new partnership deal with Virgin Australia and V Australia. All Virgin services will be available to Etihad customers, opening up 44 destinations in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, and to Asia and Los Angeles. The airlines will share their frequent flyer benefits.
Etihad Airways has received over 30 awards since its inauguration in 2003. It has a 4-star rating by Skytrax. Etihad also has a 5-star rating for its First and Business Classes. It has won the World Travel Awards (WTA) designation for having the best Business Class in the world in 2009.
In November, 2009 Etihad Airways won the "World's Leading Airline" award at the World Travel Awards in London.
In 2010, Etihad Airways won the 'World's Best First Class' award by Skytrax at Hamburg. Etihad also received awards for 'Best First Class catering' and 'Best First Class Seat' as well. The same year Etihad Airways was awarded the title of “World’s Leading Airline” for a second consecutive year at the World Travel Awards (WTA) in London. Etihad’s success in London caps a great year for the airline as it had won six titles at the WTA ceremony for the Middle East in May, including the coveted title as the region’s Leading Airline.