Tag Archives: Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways is introducing economy space, a new seating option, across its wide-body fleet, to provide more choice to its customers on longer flights. By December 2018, the airline will have retrofitted its 10 Airbus A380s with economy space seats, which feature an increased seat pitch of up to 36 inches. The redesign increases the number of extra legroom seats in economy from 20 to 80 on this aircraft type. In addition to modifying its A380s, Etihad Airways will also have added additional economy space seats to 12 Boeing 777s and 21 Boeing 787 Dreamliners by the end of 2019, increasing the total number of extra legroom seats by 560 per cent. Families with small children, elderly travellers and those requiring wheelchair assistance can now purchase and benefit from the extra room available in economy space. Economy space complements Etihad Airways’ existing ancillary products to provide customers with greater opportunities to personalise their journey, including the neighbour-free seating option in economy and a range of ‘buy-on-board’ products. Irrespective of which seating option is selected, customers will continue to receive the Etihad’s complimentary core dining service and inflight entertainment. Jamal Ahmed Al Awadhi, Head – Guest Experience, Etihad Airways, said, “We recognise that no two travellers are alike, and today’s customers demand more choice and personalisation during their travels. In response to the popularity and demand for extra legroom seats, we have reconfigured our economy cabin to allow travellers to enhance their overall travel experience. While many airlines have been squeezing more seats into economy class, we continue to focus on providing our guests with exceptional products and services that meet and exceed the demands and budgets of different types of …

Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center (Tadweer) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore how municipal waste can be converted into jet fuel. Representing a major development in the adoption of sustainable fuel, the project would aim to use the final jet fuel on Etihad Airways’ flights. The MoU mandates the two entities to undertake an initial feasibility study towards developing a flagship waste-to-fuel facility in Abu Dhabi. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Waste-to-biofuel is a cutting-edge technology – one that Etihad Airways believes will have a profoundly positive impact on the aviation industry, while also providing waste management solutions and a cleaner environment. The adoption and upscaling of sustainable energy supplies is a crucial step towards reducing Etihad Airways’ dependency on fossil fuels, allowing the airline to grow sustainably and offset carbon emissions. This landmark agreement signed with Tadweer today reflects Etihad Airways’ mutual commitment to sustainability, and the airline hopes that it can bring about lasting change to the sustainable energy landscape in the UAE.” Dr Salem Al Kaabi, Acting General Manager, Tadweer, said, “The MoU aligns with our mandate to deliver highly innovative industrial and municipal waste management solutions, as well as our commitment to the National Agenda of the UAE Vision 2021 and Abu Dhabi Waste Master Plan 2040 that aims to divert 75 per cent of municipal solid waste away from landfills.”  

Effective December 15, 2018 to January 13, 2019, Etihad Airways will increase its frequency from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow, from three to four daily services, to meet peak demand in the festive season. The flights will be operated by a two-class Boeing 787-9 featuring 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart seats. James Harrison, General Manager for Etihad Airways in the United Kingdom and Ireland, said: “We are thrilled to announce more flights to London over the festive period. This is a busy time for local guests travelling between both capitals and the extra service will allow more choice and flexibility in their travel.” In addition to the seasonal increase of service to London, Etihad Airways has also recently announced seasonal frequency increases and aircraft upgrades on a number of key routes to meet increased demand over the peak winter period. This includes additional capacity to Bahrain, Belgrade, Cairo, Istanbul, Medina and Kuwait.

Etihad Airways has unveiled its series of activities to celebrate the leadership and people of Saudi Arabia on the 88th National Day of the Kingdom. To mark the occasion on September 23, the airline’s flagship Year of Zayed-branded A380 will be deployed on EY311 and EY312, between Abu Dhabi and Jeddah. Ahmed Al Qubaisi, Senior Vice President Government & International Affairs said, “In recognition of the special bond between two countries and the increasing importance of the Saudi market to the airline, we are delighted to host this exciting programme. Over the coming months, Etihad will continue to strengthen this relationship and announce new partnerships with key Saudi Arabian organisations that will add greater value to our guests.” Etihad recently announced sponsorship of Riyadh-based Al Nassr FC, and players from the football club have recorded a special video which will be broadcast on the National Day. The airline commissioned Emirati poet, Ahmed Al Zarounei, to write a unique prose to symbolise the friendship and bond between the two countries. The 380-word Arabic poem, inspired by the A380, was transcribed on digital screens at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The gesture was captured on film and will be broadcast across Etihad’s social media channels. Guests travelling between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia will receive themed chocolates and greeting cards on the National Day. All guests visiting Etihad’s lounge in Abu Dhabi will be treated to a selection of Saudi Arabian themed cuisine. The airline is also offering special fares from Saudi Arabia during the National Day celebration period.

Travelport has announced signing a new multi-year content agreement with Etihad Airways. The deal involves continued use of the company’s leading merchandising tools, Travelport Rich Content and Branding and Travelport Sponsored Flights, as well as its business intelligence solutions for airlines, Travelport Business Intelligence. Further, Etihad has also renewed its contract with Travelport Digital to continue to extend their digital reach and deliver innovative mobile services to its customers. Etihad, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, uses Travelport Rich Content and Branding to provide Travelport’s 68,000 connected agencies with a graphically-rich experience when searching for and booking its branded fares, as well as greater access to its ancillary offers. The Travelport Sponsored Flights digital media offering is then used by the airline to further promote its flight options through highly-targeted advertising solutions. Travelport Business Intelligence is used by Etihad to arm its sales, marketing and network-planning teams with the information required to respond effectively to industry change, minimise operating costs and increase profits.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is embarking on a three-city roadshow to India to help promote the emirate and encourage more Indian visitors to explore and discover Abu Dhabi. The delegation, including the UAE’s national carrier Etihad Airways, Jet Airways, Yas Experiences, Dusit Thani, Royal Arabian, Air Travel Enterprise, Sofitel and Rotana, will be in India from 17th – 21st September, 2018. The roadshow will commence in New Delhi in northern India before moving on to Chennai and ending in Bengaluru. Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director Promotions and Overseas Offices, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “India is a vital tier-one source market for us, providing us more hotel guests each year. In 2017, we recorded spectacular double-digit growth from India and we are already recording further progress from the Indian market since the turn of the year. We are now running a series of roadshows to cities across the country, highlighting the emirate and its attractions. We have excellent air connectivity, with 278 flights a week to Abu Dhabi from 12 Indian destinations.” Bejan Dinshaw, Country Manager India, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “Our persistent efforts have managed to reinforce India as one of the leading overseas source markets for Abu Dhabi. Our YoY performance has witnessed stupendous growth and this has been possible because of the impressive work done by our trade partners. These roadshows have helped our stakeholders to connect with the regional trade partners, further boosting tourism to the Emirate.” India is currently the second-largest overseas market for Abu Dhabi after China. Last year saw more than 360,000 Indians staying in Abu Dhabi’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments, an increase of more than …

The Latvian airline, airBaltic, in cooperation with Etihad Airways, has announced extension of the operating season of flights between Riga and Abu Dhabi in 2019. The flights will restart on October 28, 2018 and continue until April 29, 2019. Wolfgang Reuss, SVP, Network Management, airBaltic, said, “When we launched flights to Abu Dhabi last year, it instantly became one of the most demanded routes during the winter season. As more of the Airbus A220-300 aircraft are joining our fleet, we are now extending the operating season of these flights by additional two months in 2019. In addition to serving the point-to-point demand, the cooperation with Etihad Airways offers a multitude of travel options to the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and Australasia,” Reuss added. This winter season, airBaltic will also continue flights from Riga to holiday destinations like Malaga, Madrid, Lisbon and Nice. airBaltic will restart flights from Riga to Abu Dhabi on October 28, 2018 and will operate the route 4 times weekly. Passengers will board an Airbus A220-300 aircraft for a flight that will last 6 hours and 15 minutes. One-way ticket prices start at 129 EUR, including airport fees and transaction costs. A full schedule of airBaltic flights can be found on the company’s homepage at www.airbaltic.com.

A delegation led by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) attended an executive summit recently held at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, USA. The event offered DCT Abu Dhabi and its partners, Etihad Airways, Miral, ADNEC, and Aldar, the opportunity to explore Google’s main campus as well as giving exclusive insight into the tech giant’s work culture, technology, and innovations. As part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s mission to position Abu Dhabi as a thriving tourism destination of distinction, the summit aimed to further coordinate the commercial activity of all attending organisations by reviewing with Google shared best practice and process efficiencies, a joint approach to positioning Abu Dhabi as one of the world’s top destinations. Sessions were organised around the unique working culture at Google, on digital brand building and the variety of Google travel products, as well as trends that are shaping the industry. Google also organised an exclusive presentation by Visit California, as a way of sharing experiences among tourism boards, with particular emphasis on organisational structure, objectives and marketing strategy. The second day of the Executive Summit was dedicated to discussion and interactive sessions on Abu Dhabi’s tourism ecosystem and fostering collaboration between different entities, with the help of Google’s system intelligence and technology. Among a number of agreed action points from the summit was a shared data initiative intended to significantly bolster the tourism ecosystem of the Emirate, as well as further cooperation on consistently presenting the destination brand.

Etihad Airways has added more options to its “Extraordinary Abu Dhabi Pass” including restaurants, leisure attractions and a five-star hotel, to provide visitors arriving in Abu Dhabi with more exclusive discounts and special offers. On dining experiences, visitors can now also look forward to a 20 per cent discount off various dining outlets in Yas Mall, including Fish & Co, Greek, Al Fanar and more. Adventure seekers will benefit from a 20 per cent discount on Leisure Train Tourism tours in Al Ain and a generous 50 per cent off Hala Abu Dhabi tours, including the Story of Abu Dhabi City Tour, Morning Desert Drive and Desert Sunset Drive & BBQ experiences. For an award-winning beach resort experience, guests at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi will enjoy a 20 per cent discount on accommodation (inclusive of breakfast), across all food and beverage outlets, and at its signature Atarmia Spa. To qualify for discounts or special offers, visitors simply have to keep their Etihad Airways issued boarding pass (branded or non-branded) and present it at participating retailers to receive their discount. Tim Burnell, Etihad Airways Vice President Marketing, said, “Etihad is delighted to increase the number of exclusive discounts available with The Extraordinary Abu Dhabi Pass. Guests now have even more offers and opportunities to explore Abu Dhabi for less this summer, and discover for themselves the wealth of exciting opportunities our dynamic capital, and wider emirate, has to offer.”

The number of hotel guests staying in Abu Dhabi increased by 4.9 per cent during the first five months of 2018 compared to the same period last year. According to statistics from the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), 162 hotels, resorts and hotel apartments offering 31,236 rooms across the emirate welcomed 2,073,586 guests during January to May. The occupancy rate has averaged 75 per cent during the same period, with a 1.4 per cent increase, while the average length of stay was 2.7 nights, an increase of 2.4 per cent compared to the same period in 2017, with China topping the number of visitors, recording 192,500 visitors, an increase of 19.9 per cent. India came in second with 166,700 guests and a 22.2 per cent increase, followed by the UK with 119,900 amounting to a 12.7 per cent increase, the United States with 82,300 guests and a 25.7 per cent increase, and Germany with 71,300 guests at a 20 per cent increase. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “These results demonstrate steady growth and prove Abu Dhabi’s ability to realise its strategic goals of positioning the emirate as a leading global destination through forward-looking marketing and promotional campaigns that seek to sustain growth.” While the Abu Dhabi Summer Season will run until August 18, the second half of 2018 will witness prominent events such as the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Art in November, and the Abu Dhabi Food Festival in December.