Etihad Airways (Arabic ???? ??????? ??????? sharikat alitti??d li??ayar?n) is a flag carrier and the second-largest airline of the UAE (after Emirates). Its head office is in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, near Abu Dhabi International Airport. Etihad commenced operations in November 2003.
The airline operates more than 1,000 flights per week to over 120 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas, with a fleet of 126 Airbus and Boeing aircraft as of July 2017. In 2015, Etihad carried 14.8 million passengers, a 22.3% increase from the previous year, delivering revenues of US$9.02 billion and net profits of US$103 million. Its main base is Abu Dhabi International Airport.
In addition to its core activity of passenger transportation, Etihad also operates Etihad Holidays and Etihad Cargo. Etihad established its own airline alliance, Etihad Airways Partners, in 2015, that includes Alitalia, Jet Airways, Air Berlin, Niki, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles and Etihad Regional. With the exception of Niki, Etihad Airways holds minority equity investments in the participating airlines; as well as holding a stake in Virgin Australia, which is not officially listed as an Etihad Airways Partner. Booking for these airlines is consolidated under one network.
As of 12 October 2016, Etihad Airways is rated as one of a small number of 5-star airlines by Skytrax.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
History
Etihad Airways was established as the second flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates in July 2003 by Royal (Amiri) Decree issued by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who wanted an airline for Abu Dhabi. Darwish Alkhoory, the chief personal pilot for Sheikh Zayed, established the airline. 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. Prior to the establishment of Etihad, Gulf Air was the airline which was based at Abu Dhabi International Airport and was also co-owned by Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman.
In June 2004, the airline placed an US$8-billion aircraft order for five Boeing 777-300ERs and 24 Airbus aircraft, including four Airbus A380s. Its first A380 was delivered in December 2014.
The airline announced what was the largest aircraft order in commercial aviation history at the Farnborough Airshow in 2008, for up to 205 aircraft--100 firm orders, 55 options and 50 purchase rights.
Etihad reported its first full-year net profit in 2011, of US$14 million, in line with the strategic plan announced by CEO James Hogan in 2006.
In December 2011, Etihad announced it had taken a 29.21% stake in Air Berlin, Europe's sixth-largest airline, and James Hogan was appointed Vice Chairman. It followed this up with minority stakes in other airlines--Air Seychelles (40%), Aer Lingus (2.987%), Virgin Australia (10%). On 1 August 2013, the President of the company, James Hogan, signed a deal with Aleksandar Vu?i?, First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, in Belgrade, giving Etihad a 49% stake in the Serbian national carrier Jat Airways. The Serbian Government retained 51% of the shares. The new company is named Air Serbia.
In September 2012, the Indian government announced that foreign airlines could take a stake of up to 49% in Indian carriers. On 24 April 2013, Jet Airways announced that it was ready to sell a 24% stake in the airline to Etihad for US$379 million. The deal was completed on 12 November 2013.
At the 2013 Dubai Airshow, Etihad announced that it was acquiring a 33.3% stake in the Swiss carrier Darwin Airline. Darwin was rebranded as Etihad Regional from March 2014.
On 1 August 2014, Etihad agreed to take a 49% stake in the Italian flag carrier Alitalia for an estimated EUR560 million. The deal was closed on 8 August 2014. On 1 January 2015, Alitalia-CAI formally passed its operations to Alitalia-SAI, a new entity owned 49% by Etihad and 51% by the Alitalia-CAI shareholders.
In May 2016, the management structure was reshuffled, James Hogan became CEO of the airline's parent company, Etihad Aviation Group. Peter Baumgartner, formerly the airline's Chief Commercial Officer, became Chief Executive Officer of the airline, answering to Hogan.
On 2 July 2017, the USDHS exempted Etihad Airways from the 2017 electronics ban after they enhanced their passenger screenings.
Etihad Airways Economy Class Review Video
Corporate affairs
Head office
Etihad has its head office, in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, near Abu Dhabi International Airport. 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.
Structure
Etihad is governed by a board of directors chaired by Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 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 members of the board include: Mohammed Mubarak Fadel Al Mazrouei, Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, Hamad Abdullah Al Shamsi, Khalifa Sultan Al Suwaidi and George Cheaib.
The airline is led by James Hogan (formerly CEO of Gulf Air) who was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer on 10 September 2006.
Etihad Airways partners
One of the pillars of Etihad's operation is its equity alliance, which is composed of airlines in which Etihad has minority shareholdings:
Business trends
The key trends for Etihad Airways since it started trading in November 2003 are shown below (as at years ending 31 December):
Profits* - earlier profit/loss figures do not appear to have ever been published; the company announced, however, that it became profitable as from 2011.
Corporate sponsorship
Event and organisations
- On 18 December 2007 Etihad announced that it would become the title sponsor for the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to be held on Yas Island, the F1 logo and the words "Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix" appeared on the aircraft for one month before the race.
- In October 2008, it was announced that Etihad would take over sponsorship of the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, Australia (previously known as the Telstra Dome). The name change to Etihad Stadium took effect on 1 March 2009.
- On 19 March 2008 it was announced that Etihad Airways would become a main sponsor for the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship from 2008 to 2010, which was later extended until 2012. On 12 April 2012, the Gaelic Athletic Association signed a new five-year sponsorship deal with Etihad.
- On 25 March 2014, Etihad announced a partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States to become the Official Airline Partner of MLS, in a multi-year deal.
Current team sponsorship deals
Former
- Etihad was 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.
Awards and recognitions
Etihad Airways has received over 30 awards since its inauguration in 2003. It won the World Travel Awards (WTA) designation for having the best Business Class in the world in 2009. In November 2009 Etihad Airways was rated the "World's Leading Airline" at the World Travel Awards in London. In November 2013, Etihad Airways won the "World's Leading Airline - First Class 2013" World Travel Awards.
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. Etihad was rated the "World's Leading Airline" in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 by the World Travel Awards.
In 2013, Etihad Airways received all three First Class category awards at the 2013 Skytrax World Airline Awards - "Best First Class", "Best First Class Seats" and "Best First Class Catering".
On 9 June 2014 Etihad announced that it would withdraw from Skytrax. Despite its withdrawal from Skytrax, Etihad Airways was ranked sixth among "The World's Top 10 Airlines of 2015" by Skytrax.
On 3 December 2015 at an A380 launch event in New York City it was announced that Etihad had won Air Transport World's 2016 "Airline of the Year".
Cargo
Etihad Cargo, formerly Etihad Crystal Cargo, operates five Boeing B777F and five Airbus A330-200F. Etihad Cargo has previously operated a Boeing 747-8F and Boeing 747-400F, both leased from Atlas Air but operated in full Etihad Cargo colours.
Etihad Cargo delivered 368,000 tonnes of cargo in 2012, a tonnage growth of 19 per cent on the back of a capacity increase of 14 per cent in available tonnage kilometres. Etihad's new facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport will be equipped to handle more than 500,000 tonnes annually.
The carrier refreshed its brand image in June 2012 dropping the "Crystal" part, with full Etihad Cargo title now applied billboard style.
Destinations
As of July 2017, Etihad serves 116 passenger and cargo destinations across Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Australasia from its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Until pulling out of São Paulo in late March 2017, Etihad Airways was one of the few carriers to have passenger services to all six inhabited continents.
Etihad Airways codeshares with the following airlines:
Additionally, Etihad Airways has a codeshare partnership with French Railways SNCF.
Fleet
As of July 2017 the Etihad Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft:
- ^1 The First-class accommodation on the A380 includes 'The Residence By Etihad', a three-room cabin that can seat up to two passengers; and nine First Apartments, each seating one passenger.
Previously operated
Etihad Airways operated the following aircraft in the past:
Services
Etihad Airways introduced new cabins in December 2014. Here are the old and new cabins.
Old cabins (until December 2014)
Etihad has 3 cabins, Diamond First Class, Pearl Business Class and Coral Economy Class.
Etihad's existing First Class cabin, labelled "Diamond First Class", features a perfectly flat, 6 ft 8 inch bed, in its own private suite. The suites include a personal mini-bar and wardrobe, in-built massage and a 23-inch widescreen television. There is a changing room on board, and passengers also have their own personal chef.
There are two Business Class cabins - one that operates on widebody aircraft, and one that operates on narrowbody aircraft. Business Class on widebody aircraft offers a 6 ft 1 inch full flat bed, with finest dining and a 15-inch widescreen television. There is also an in-built massage included. On narrowbody aircraft, they have a seat with 49 inches of pitch.
Economy Class on all aircraft offers a cradle recline and 32 to 34 inch seat pitch. All seats have 10.4 inch entertainment screens offer 675 hours of films and games.
New cabins (from December 2014)
With the introduction of the Airbus A380s and Boeing 787-9s, new cabins were introduced, their names being: The Residence (A380 only), the First Apartments (A380 only), First Suite (787), Business Studio and Economy Smart seat. The rest of the fleet will gradually be retrofitted with these cabins except for the Residence and First Apartment cabins, which are exclusive to the Airbus A380. The Residence was the only three-room cabin in the sky when it was introduced in December 2014.
The Residence can accommodate one or two people, in a space of 125 square feet (11.6 m2). It features a private living room, bedroom and bathroom. Some of the features include a 60.6-inch (154 cm)-wide two-seater reclining sofa and 32-inch (81 cm) TV monitor in the lounge; an ensuite bathroom with shower; and an 82-inch (210 cm) long, 47.5-inch (121 cm) wide double bed in the bedroom which also includes a 27-inch (69 cm) TV monitor. The airline claims it is the most luxurious living space in the air.
First Class on Airbus A380s was overhauled with the "First Apartments". There are nine in total, configured 1-1 across a single aisle, and take up a total area of 39 square feet (3.6 m2) each. It features a 30.3-inch (77 cm)-wide reclining chair; a full length ottoman which can be transformed into a bed; a 24-inch (61 cm) TV monitor which can swing to align itself to the ottoman so that it can be viewed from the bed; a vanity cabinet; and a chilled drinks bar with assorted drinks. In 2015, this class was named the world's best first class due to its luxurious innovation.
Boeing 787-9s feature eight First Suites to accommodate the narrower aircraft. The service includes a 26-inch (66 cm)-wide reclining lounge chair (which converts into an 80.5-inch (204 cm) fully flat bed); dining table; and a 24-inch (61 cm) TV monitor. All covers are tailored by Poltrona Frau. There is a personal wardrobe, along with total privacy with high sliding doors.
The "Business Studio" is on both models, with 70 seats on the Airbus A380s, and 28 on the Boeing 787-9s. The studio seats include a 22-inch (56 cm)-wide reclining chair, which converts into a fully flat bed, and an 18-inch (46 cm) TV monitor. All have leather covers tailored by Poltrona Frau.
Economy Smart seats feature a 17-inch (43 cm)-wide seat on the Boeing 787 and 19-inch (48 cm)-wide seat on the Airbus A380, with a 31-to-33-inch (79 to 84 cm) pitch and 6-inch (15 cm) recline. There is also an 11-inch (28 cm) touch screen fitted with Etihad's entertainment system. A fixed wing is in place to allow passengers to rest upon.
In-flight entertainment
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 brands 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, Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER all have in-flight telephone facility.
Etihad signed a new 10-year agreement with Panasonic Avionics Corporation in 2011 for the provision of in-flight entertainment including broadband internet and live TV.
Loyalty programme
Etihad Guest is the airline's frequent flyer program, launched on 30 August 2006. It offers a discount web shop for members.
Etihad is not part of any airline alliance, but has partnership agreements with:
Accidents and incidents
- 15 November 2007 - A new A340-600, registration A6-EHG, due for delivery to Etihad Airways was damaged beyond repair during ground testing at Airbus' facilities at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. During a pre-delivery engine test, multiple safety systems had been disabled by engineers, leading to the non-chocked aircraft accelerating to 31 knots (57 km/h) by the operating staff and colliding with a concrete blast deflection wall. Severe damage was inflicted on the aircraft and nine people on board were injured, four of them seriously. The right wing, tail, and left engines made contact with the ground or wall, leaving the forward section of the aircraft elevated several meters and the cockpit broken off.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
EmoticonEmoticon