Tag Archives: Etihad Airways

Ahead of the seasonal surge in demand for luxury vehicle shipments to popular holiday destinations, Etihad Cargo celebrates the launch of ‘FlightValet’, its newly designed product aimed to ease the process of moving motor vehicles across the globe. Etihad Cargo transports hundreds of high-value vehicles annually on its passenger and freighter aircraft, and this new product will further simplify customers’ booking experience. Commenting on the launch, Abdulla Mohamed Shadid, Managing Director – Cargo and Logistics, Etihad Airways said, “We are delighted to introduce this new tailored product to the marketplace. Demand from our customers has grown significantly in recent years, and in an effort to improve our service offering, we have introduced vehicle handling capability at key new stations in 2018.” FlightValet is available to those who wish to transport their luxury vehicles immediately. Customers choosing the service will benefit from Etihad Cargo’s proven track record in handling some of the world’s most valuable cars. FlightValet is offered through a dedicated team that will oversee the swift, safe and secure delivery of the vehicle to its final destination. Throughout the year, it will also cater to racing enthusiasts worldwide wishing to take their cars around iconic racetracks such as Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, home to the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009.

Effective October 28, 2018, Etihad Airways will introduce a 299-seat next-generation Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its daily mid-morning EY653/EY654 schedule from Abu Dhabi to Cairo. Etihad Airways will operate four daily services to the Egyptian capital, offering greater choice and optimised timings to benefit business and leisure customers travelling point-to-point between the two cities. The convenient schedules also provide seamless East-bound connections through Abu Dhabi onto the airline’s network to the Gulf, Indian subcontinent, North and Southeast Asia and Australia. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial, Etihad Airways said, “Etihad Airways has been serving Cairo since 2004 and today it is one of the largest point-to-point markets on our global network, bolstered by the hugely important historic, economic, and cultural ties existing between the UAE and Egypt. The introduction of the state-of-the-art 787 Dreamliner on the popular morning service from Abu Dhabi will provide guests with the latest innovation and technology, award-winning cabins, genuine hospitality and greater choice.” In April 2018, Etihad Airways and EGYPTAIR expanded their codeshare partnership from Abu Dhabi and Cairo to include several African destinations served by the Egyptian flag-carrier from its Cairo hub, including Ndjamena in Chad, Khartoum in Sudan, Entebbe in Uganda, and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and subject to government approvals, Abuja and Kano in Nigeria, and Asmara in Eritrea.

Etihad Airways will operate the Airbus A380 on its second daily service linking Abu Dhabi and Paris Charles de Gaulle from October 1, 2018. This will transform the airline’s operation between the UAE and French capitals into a year-round all-A380 service, joining London Heathrow as the second European destination. The introduction of the aircraft on the second daily service will provide business and leisure travellers between both cities with more options to experience Etihad’s latest award-winning cabins and products. The airline has operated the A380 between Abu Dhabi and Paris on one of its two daily flights since July 1, 2017. Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer said, “Paris has always been a very special destination on the Etihad network and the number of visitors from France to Abu Dhabi, and vice versa has continued to show significant growth. The route has never been more in demand. We have seized the opportunity to place our flagship Airbus A380 on our second daily flight, following the great reception the aircraft has received from our guests, and to ensure we offer product consistency on the route. This will also allow us to significantly increase the number of leisure and premium seats available, providing more options for those wanting to travel point-to-point between Abu Dhabi and Paris, two capitals now also united by Louvre museums, or to connect via our Abu Dhabi hub to points all over the Middle East, Asia and Australia.”

Etihad Airways has announced the introduction of a new scheduled service linking Abu Dhabi and Barcelona, Spain, effective from November 21, 2018. The route will initially be operated five times a week by a two-class Airbus A330-200 before becoming a daily operation from  March 31, 2019. Barcelona will become the second city in Spain served by Etihad Airways, complementing the airline’s existing daily service to the capital Madrid. The new route will provide business and leisure travellers with convenient timings to travel between Abu Dhabi and Barcelona, also providing seamless onward connections through Abu Dhabi to major cities in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Korea and Australia. Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer Etihad Airways, said,“As one of the largest unserved markets from our Abu Dhabi base, Barcelona – a hub of culture, commerce, tourism, education, fashion and science, has witnessed a significant increase in travel demand from the emirate, and from across our wider network. We are now delighted to announce the first direct link between these two important global hubs. We are confident it will prove very popular with UAE and Barcelona-based customers, allowing us to extend our acclaimed inflight service, hospitality and flair to this vibrant Mediterranean city, and to build on the flourishing cultural and commercial ties between the UAE and Spain.”

Etihad Airways has introduced Humanoid Robot Sophia backed by AI technology at the Arabian Travel Market 2018. Sophia is the AI-powered robot famous for speaking at the UN and interviewing celebrities and world leaders alike. She was named the United Nations Development Programme’s first ever Innovation Champion for Asia and the Pacific, and is also the first robot in the world to have a nationality, after being granted citizenship by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sophia took part in a one-on-one interview with host Damian Watson, Head of Station at Abu Dhabi Media Company, discussed the future of innovation and technology in aviation, as well as about her experiences and impressions of the Capital, at the Etihad Theatre. The Etihad Theatre also featured presentations and Question and Answer sessions with the airline’s executives and guests including Special Olympics and Manchester City Football Club, covering the areas of guest experience, marketing partnerships, environment and sustainability. Peter Baumgartner, CEO, Etihad Airways took part in a one-on-one CEO interview as part of the main ATM programming on the ATM Global Stage.

Held in Abu Dhabi’s Manarat Al Saadiyat from April 8-12, CultureSummit brought together global leaders from the fields of arts, media, public policy and technology to discuss the role of culture in building bridges and promoting positive change in society. Steering Committee member HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “As the world’s first high-level summit of leaders across the arts, technology and policy, convening figures from every corner of the world is no small feat. It wouldn’t be possible without the support and global reach of Etihad Airways, which in this case truly lives up to its mission of ‘Bringing the world together.'” Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President – Commercial, Etihad Airways, said, “With the recent opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi, in addition to a number of major events held throughout the year, Abu Dhabi is quickly establishing itself as a vibrant hub for the arts and culture. The CultureSummit Abu Dhabi 2018, which is set to welcome approximately 500 participants from 80 countries, is a unique opportunity to showcase Abu Dhabi to the world, and Etihad Airways is honoured to play a role in bringing the world together for this inspiring event.” The theme for CultureSummit Abu Dhabi 2018 is ‘Unexpected Collaborations: Forging New Connections Between Heritage and Innovation, Near and Far, Creativity and Purpose.’

Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum has recently opened for GCC for the summer season with an expanded offering for guests. New villas and suites overlooking the Paradise Bay will be available, and more butlers will be on hand to maintain the resort’s reputation for excellent service. Guests can savour new menus at the resort’s award-winning restaurants and book its new Flavours of Bodrum accommodation package. Guests staying at Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum now have three new villas and the Bougainvillea and Royal Suites to choose from in addition to the existing selection of guest rooms, apartments, suites and villas. The Bougainvillea Suite, also known as the honeymoon suite, is in a secluded spot at the far end of resort. The 95-square metre retreat features a single bedroom and private swimming pool overlooking the Aegean Sea. The sea-view Royal Suite, with seven rooms, private garden and swimming pool is the largest on the Bodrum Peninsula with 533 square metres of space. Including its existing seven-room villa, the resort now offers large-scale family accommodation on the Peninsula. All suites and villas at the resort have infinity pools and private terraces overlooking the sea.

Beginning with the summer schedule, Etihad Airways has launched its flagship Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the Abu Dhabi–Geneva route. The three-class aircraft, featuring eight First Suites, 28 Business Studios and 199 Economy Smart Seats, replaces the Airbus A330s previously operating daily on the route, and offers additional cargo capacity. Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said, “We are delighted that Switzerland, one of our most attractive markets for both business and leisure travellers, will now be exclusively served by our flagship Boeing 787 Dreamliner.” “In addition to maintaining attractive timings for guests travelling between Abu Dhabi and Geneva, we will create further suitable connections in many markets that will benefit more travellers to conveniently connect to Geneva via our Abu Dhabi hub. Through our optimised schedule, more business and leisure guests from an increasing number of destinations will now have the opportunity to experience our next generation aircraft throughout their journey with us.” The new generation aircraft’s environmental performance brings a number of operational advantages, such as a 12 per cent reduction in fuel consumption compared to the previous aircraft on the route and a concomitant substantial reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi is embarking on a four-city roadshow to India along with partners and stakeholders to help promote the emirate and lure more Indian visitors to explore Abu Dhabi. The delegation, which includes Rotana Hotels, Yas Experience, Royal Arabian Destination Management, Royal Rose Hotels, Etihad Airways, Jet Airways, Lama Tours, Air Travel Enterprises, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, and Holiday Inn Hotels will be in India from until March 23. The roadshow began in Chandigarh in northern India, followed by Ahmedabad, Mumbai and concluding in Pune. Last year, more than 360,000 Indians stayed in Abu Dhabi’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments, an increase of more than 11 per cent compared to the previous year. Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director, Promotions and Overseas Offices, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “India is a vital Tier-I source market for us which is providing more and more hotel guests for us each year and helped us reach a record of more than 4.9 million numbers of guests last 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.”  

A new codeshare partnership was signed between Etihad Airways and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) with bookings effective immediately. Under the agreement, Etihad Airways will have its EY flight code on SWISS services between Geneva and Zurich, two key gateway cities served in Switzerland from Abu Dhabi. SWISS will market its LX code on Etihad Airways’ services between Zurich and Abu Dhabi, offering its passengers codeshare flights to and from the UAE’s capital city. The codeshare services are bookable now, for travel from March 26. Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said, “This codeshare deepens Etihad Airways’ commitment to the Swiss travel market and Switzerland, a key destination for travellers from UAE, neighbouring Gulf countries, and across our Asia Pacific network. The partnership further strengthens the historic cultural, business and tourism ties that the UAE and Switzerland have enjoyed over many decades. For travellers from Switzerland, our new relationship with SWISS will provide access to Etihad’s award-winning service and the hospitality for which our Abu Dhabi home is known.”