Tag Archives: Etihad Airways

Travellers flying from Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways, will be able to validate their Covid-19 travel documents before arriving at the airport. Guests can arrive at the airport with confidence and with peace of mind, knowing they have met all essential requirements before their flight. With the formalities out of the way, verified travellers can enjoy fast track check-in at the airport by going to the dedicated Verified to Fly desk for a quicker and smoother experience. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group said: “As Etihad continuously looks for innovative solutions to simplify the travel experience, Verified to Fly removes any guess work from the equation and makes check-in faster. Guests have total peace of mind knowing that when they arrive at the airport, they have already met all Covid travel requirements”.

Etihad Airways has launched a sale on fares to Greece, as travellers from the UAE are not required to quarantine on arrival. Fly from Abu Dhabi to Athens in Economy for just AED 995 return or AED 9,995 in Business. Fares are valid until 3 May 2021 for travel until 20 November 2021. Etihad operates twice a week to Athens with convenient departures on Thursday’s and Saturday’s, with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner offering Business, Economy and Economy Space options. Whether travellers are staying in Athens to explore archaeological sites or connecting to the beautiful white-sand beaches of the Greek Islands, restaurants, beaches and entertainment venues are open for visitors to enjoy the ultimate break. Flying to, from, and via Abu Dhabi is supported by the airline’s fully redesigned sanitisation and safety programme, Etihad Wellness, which ensures the highest standards of hygiene are maintained at every stage of the customer journey. This includes specially trained Wellness Ambassadors, a first in the industry, who provide essential travel health information and care on the ground and on every flight, so guests can fly with greater ease and confidence. All passengers travelling with Etihad receive complimentary Covid-19 insurance, which is valid for travel until 30 September 2021. Etihad was the first airline in the world to announce it is operating with 100% of its crew on board vaccinated. To give guests peace of mind, Etihad is the only airline in the world requiring 100% of its passengers to show a negative PCR test before departure, and on arrival in Abu Dhabi.  

Guests travelling with Etihad Airways from now until May 31 from Abu Dhabi to Chicago, New York, Washington and Toronto, will be the first to trial the IATA Travel Pass app to easily manage their travel health credentials. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “With the dynamically changing health requirements for travel, Etihad believes that a digital health passport solution will provide additional clarity and ease for travellers. Etihad has partnered with IATA so that together, a globally unified approach to a travel pass can be simplified to make travel easier once governments decide what regulations are required to cross borders in either direction.” To participate in the trial, guests simply download the IATA Travel Pass app from the Apple App Store and book an appointment with Life Diagnostics at Sultan Bin Zayed the First Street or BioGenix Labs at Masdar City. At the clinic, guests inform reception they are participating in the IATA Travel Pass trial and should be ready to show their passport and mobile device with the IATA Travel Pass app downloaded. Once the test result is ready, travellers will be able to view it on both the IATA Travel Pass app and through the testing clinic’s own digital platform. “Etihad Airways trial of IATA Travel Pass will help build confidence among governments and travellers that digital health apps can safely, securely and conveniently help restart aviation. The app gives travellers a one-stop-shop to help them comply with the new rules for travel, and for governments complete assurance in the identity of the passenger and the authenticity of the travel credentials being presented,” said Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President for Airport, Passenger, …

Etihad Airways launched its regular flight service between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. Additionally, on Monday, Israel was added to Abu Dhabi’s ‘green list’, giving quarantine-free travel for visitors arriving in Abu Dhabi. The launch of scheduled operations comes as the next historic step in developing diplomatic, trade and tourism ties between Israel and the UAE, which were inked as part of the Abraham Accords in September 2020. Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways EY598, the first scheduled flight from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport, took to the skies this morning (Tuesday) at 10:05 (UAE time). Onboard the flight was a diplomatic and economic delegation representing the UAE. The delegation includes H.E. Mohamed Al-Khaja, UAE’s first Ambassador to Israel, Eitan Nae’eh, Israel’s Head of Mission to the UAE, and Tony Douglas, Etihad’s Group CEO. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Today is a hugely significant moment in Etihad’s history, as we operate our first scheduled commercial flight into Tel Aviv. Last year, we witnessed the UAE and Israel make history when signing the Abraham Accords, and we are tremendously excited about the opportunities this poses to Etihad, and our home Abu Dhabi.” “On our inaugural flight today, we were delighted to welcome representatives from some of the UAE’s finest tourism and hospitality operators. These business leaders will not only showcase Abu Dhabi as a world-leading tourism destination but also reinforce the emirate’s robust and united response towards wellness,” added Douglas

Etihad Airways has been awarded the New Distribution Capability (NDC) Level 4 certification, by IATA. NDC enhances communication between the airline industry and travel agents, which allows for more effective merchandising, competitive propositions and product personalisation. The NDC standard allows Etihad to transform the way its products are retailed to corporations, leisure and business travellers by addressing the industry’s current distribution limitations such as time-to-market and product differentiation. Level 4 is among the highest NDC certifications awarded by IATA and demonstrates that Etihad’s NDC Offer and Order capability now includes full service and change capability. As a result, partners can now shop, order and amend the order using the NDC connection. Vijay Bathija, Vice President Revenue Management, Etihad Airways said, “Achieving IATA’s Level 4 NDC certification is an important milestone in Etihad’s accelerated digital transformation programme, and a necessity to connect with major players and aggregators. Embracing an agile delivery model is proof of Etihad’s commitment to providing more choice and greater flexibility to our trade partners and customers. The capability gives Etihad the ability to create tailored offers and communicate  more effectively with customers, to best meet their travel needs and respond quickly to changing market conditions.” “Receiving Level 4 NDC Certification is a major achievement on Etihad’s airline retailing journey, one that will provide travellers with richer content and increased transparency regardless of distribution channel,” said Yanik Hoyles, IATA’s Director Distribution.

Etihad Airways has extended its COVID-19 global wellness insurance cover until 30 September 2021. Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Sales & Cargo, Etihad Airways, said, “Extending Etihad’s COVID-19 global wellness insurance reinforces the effectiveness of Etihad Wellness, the airline’s health, and hygiene programme. It’s an added benefit automatically provided to all guests – no exceptions. “As Etihad continues to gradually expand its services to up to 60 destinations this spring, the airline wants to instill confidence to travel and hopes this additional cover will reassure guests Etihad is doing everything it can to keep them safe and protected.” Guests who are diagnosed with COVID-19 during their trip won’t have to worry about medical expenses or quarantine costs when they fly with Etihad.

Etihad Airways and Gulf Air signed a Strategic Commercial Cooperation Agreement (SCCA) to deepen their partnership between Abu Dhabi and Bahrain and beyond the respective hubs. The wide-ranging SCCA, subject to obtaining applicable governmental and regulatory approvals, sets out specific actions for deepening and broadening commercial cooperation, building on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the airlines signed in 2018. The SCCA envisages a phased approach to closer collaboration between the partners. In the first phase, by June 2021, the scope of the partners’ codeshare agreement, first signed in 2019, will be significantly expanded. Etihad and Gulf Air will be able to offer up to an additional 30 combined destinations beyond the Abu Dhabi and Bahrain hubs, across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia. The Strategic Commercial Cooperation Agreement was signed by Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, and Captain Waleed AlAlawi, Gulf Air’s Acting Chief Executive Officer. Tony Douglas said, “This agreement reinforces the strength of the ongoing partnership between our two airlines. We look forward to exploring pragmatic ways in which the two carriers can increasingly work seamlessly between our two capitals, enhance benefits and customer experience for our most frequent travelers and further extend the reach of our joint networks beyond our hubs.” Captain AlAlawi said,  “Our relationship with Etihad Airways has always been strong and today we are reaching a higher level of collaboration with many more opportunities on the horizon between the national carriers of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. This agreement will empower both of us to offer a more elevated experience to passengers and widen their travel options.”  

15below has partnered with Etihad Airways to upgrade the airline’s communication system to address the ever-changing travel requirements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 15below platform links directly to Etihad’s reservations system, allowing the airline to automatically communicate with its passengers using personalised, real-time data from the booking. With all the information they need on hand, customers are promised a smooth, stress-free travel experience without unnecessary delays, queues, and human interaction at the airport. Talking about the partnership, 15below’s CEO Nicholas Key said, “A lack of relevant information has always been a huge contributor to the stress that many associate with travel, so at a time when the rules are constantly changing, effective communication is absolutely key to passenger wellness. The work that we have done with Etihad gives the passenger much greater control, promoting a smooth, risk-free travel experience where currently there is more to think about than ever before.” Frank Meyer, Chief Digital Officer, Etihad Aviation Group said, “Etihad is a global player in driving digital transformation within the aviation industry. As travel restrictions ease, it’s our responsibility to pursue innovative solutions that will enhance the travel experience for our guests. Ensuring wellness is part of the redefined customer journey has become an integral part of our business and our partnership with 15below has been instrumental in making this a reality.” Research by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) shows that 72% of travellers want to be kept up to date on their mobile device throughout their journey and three in five want real-time updates during disruption. Acknowledging that a passenger’s experience starts during the booking process and ends when they arrive at their destination, Etihad’s partnership with …

Etihad Airways is expanding its offset programme in collaboration with Shell. Separately, the airline is also setting up a guest programme to allow guests to purchase additional voluntary offsets.Through its participation in Shell’s carbon credit programme, Etihad will expand its offset programme beyond the original Makame Savannah REDD project in Tanzania to include Peru’s Cordillera Azul National Park and Indonesia’s KatinganMentaya Project, making Etihad’s efforts geographically diverse in the promotion of climate action. Tony Douglas, Etihad Aviation Group CEO, said, “Exactly one year ago, we committed to a sustainable future with the very real, tangible objective to be completely carbon neutral by 2050 and to reduce CO2 emissions to 50 percent of 2019 levels by 2035. Since then, the aviation industry has been completely transformed by the COVID-19 crisis, however our commitment to sustainability has never wavered. We have since introduced and led a number of industry-leading sustainability initiatives to further drive and promote carbon neutrality, of which today’s announcement is just the latest.” Anna Mascolo, President, Shell Aviation, said, “We are pleased to be helping Etihad Airways reduce their net carbon footprint, through the use of high-quality, nature-based carbon offsets. Until sustainable aviation fuel and technology solutions are developed and deployed at scale, offsetting is not a choice but a necessity if companies within the aviation sector are to meet net-zero emissions targets. This agreement is a great example of action that can be taken today to engage multiple parties in accelerating aviation’s pathway to net zero emissions, even in challenging circumstances.” “In spite of COVID and the vulnerability of the industry, Etihad is determined to pave the path for a green recovery and commit to environmental stewardship and …

Etihad Airways will recommence passenger flights from Abu Dhabi from February 15 to Doha, Qatar, subject to the applicable government approvals. The service will operate daily using an Airbus A320 and a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Cargo, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “With ties between the UAE and Qatar restored, the restarting of passenger services between the two capitals will once again support the growth of trade and tourism between the two nations. “Adding a new destination to Etihad’s network during the COVID-19 pandemic is another step towards the gradual expansion of normal scheduled services to more cities across the airline’s global network.” To give guests peace of mind and to offer an extra level of reassurance to travel, Etihad is the only airline in the world requiring 100% of its passengers to show a negative PCR test before departure, and on arrival in Abu Dhabi. As the network continues to be built back up, Etihad ensures a secure and hygienic flying environment across the entire guest journey. Over the last few months, the airline has seized every opportunity to improve processes, including the introduction of free PCR testing for guests departing the UAE and free COVID-19 insurance for all passengers globally.