Tag Archives: Etihad

Etihad Airways operated its first ecoFlight for 2021, continuing research and testing under the Etihad Greenliner programme to assess environmental sustainability initiatives during scheduled services. This is Etihad’s fourth ecoFlight, operated on the airline’s signature Greenliner aircraft which is fully offset for all operations through 2021 as part of the airline’s mission toward carbon neutral flying. The maiden 2021 ecoFlight, EY83, departed Abu Dhabi for Rome on April 17, testing a range of flight and engine optimisation initiatives, as well as onboard product enhancements to reduce weight and single-use plastics, with successful trials to be incorporated into regular scheduled operations. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Etihad made a significant and tangible commitment to sustainability and the future of aviation over a year ago, first when we launched the Greenliner programme in partnership with Boeing, GE and other aviation leaders, then with our commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and halving our net emission levels by 2035. ‘Since then, and throughout the pandemic we have remained on track, with a number of ecoFlights during 2020, as well as partnering with Boeing, NASA and Safran on the 2020 ecoDemonstrator programme. Now in 2021 we are stepping up our efforts so eco testing won’t be confined to quarterly dedicated ecoFlights, but instead an always on, ever present part of operations to test, refine and implement sustainability initiatives. This kind of incremental, real world testing is the foundation of the Greenliner programme, which will allow us to continue R&D efforts into decarbonization opportunities. “This isn’t about solving only Etihad’s emissions, but about supporting the entire industry to address the biggest challenge we face over the next three decades.”

Global Village has revealed that the recently launched Etihad Baggage Claim Challenge has been welcomed with a positive reception by enthusiastic guests. The park partnered with Etihad Airways to provide guests with a unique opportunity to travel the world. Since its launch on Sunday, April 4th, the unique promotion has captured the imagination of those visiting the destination, with hundreds of participants entering daily for the chance to win. As the latest Silver Jubilee Season activation, the Global Village guest that guesses the 5-digit combination code of the large locked travel trunk located in the Park will receive one million Etihad Guest Miles, AED 25,000 cash for their travels, and AED 25,000 to shop at Global Village as they prepare for the trip of a lifetime. Every few days, a number is being released until a winner cracks the code, and these are being published on various channels including the Etihad Guest website (www.EtihadGuest.com) and mobile app, Arabian Radio Network stations, and Global Village Instagram channel and mobile app. Two of the five numbers have already been revealed and with more digits set to be published soon, guests are urged to follow Global Village social media platforms and download the app to increase their chances of winning.  This exciting activation is part of the Ramadan Nights program where guests can enjoy time with friends and family every evening from 6pm until 2am.

Etihad Airways unveiled a year-long programme in celebration of the 50 years since the nation was established. The programme will launch in three phases, focusing on the past, the present and looking forward to the future. The airline has launched a dedicated platform at etihad.com/uae50, and aims to engage the local community in its participative programme which will be revealed in detail throughout the year. Citizens, residents and guests of the UAE will have the chance to participate and win one of 50,000 prizes that will be given away throughout the course of the year. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “This year-long initiative demonstrates Etihad’s celebration of the past, and commitment to the next 50 years of this incredible country. As one of the UAE’s leading brands, Etihad is proud to bring the world to Abu Dhabi to be part of this celebration.”  

All flights of Emirates and Etihad have been moved from the Northern Gate to Terminal 1 at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah from Monday, March 29, 2021. The Kingdom’s aviation body said earlier this month that it will resume international travel and complete the opening of all airports from May 17, 2021. However, international flights coming in from the countries that the authority has suspended travel to and from due to Covid restrictions will not be allowed to fly into Saudi Arabia. In order to ease travel for passengers, the UAE airlines — including Emirates and Etihad — as well as other Gulf carriers are running trials of digital passports. The digital passport — a certification, verification and validation system — could be an advanced form of the UAE’s Al Hosn mobile app, with not just vaccination and Covid-19 test data, but also details like pre-travel eligibility requirements for the destination. It is expected to authenticate all country travel and health regulations, manage all documentation digitally and facilitate seamless travel.

Etihad Airways flights continue to operate, however as the airline follows UAE and international government and regulatory authority directives, selected destinations have introduced travel restrictions. Detailed information on the current restrictions is available at Etihad Travel Updates. Guests are requested to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport. The new global travel restrictions are currently impacting travel across India, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UK.  

Etihad Airways will resume passenger flights from Abu Dhabi, UAE, to Casablanca and Rabat, in the Kingdom of Morocco. Effective September 19, the airline will operate returning flights three times a week from Abu Dhabi to Casablanca. This service will be followed by direct flights between the two capitals, Abu Dhabi and Rabat, on October 28. Those wishing to book are advised to visit www.etihad.com to view their options and to remain informed on the appropriate entry regulations at their end destination. Flights are also available for booking through the mobile app, by calling the Etihad Airways Contact Centre on +971 600 555 666 (UAE), or through a local or online travel agency. The addition of Casablanca and Rabat brings the total number destinations Etihad is operating to 58 destinations worldwide.

Etihad Airways announced the expansion of its partnership with AccesRail, the world’s leading provider of air-rail intermodal solutions. The partnership allows Etihad to use AccesRail’s expertise to enable its customers to book train and coach tickets in Europe in conjunction with their air fare using the airline’s online booking platform, or through their travel agency. Etihad’s guests can connect to and from their international flights to rail routes operated by major European railway companies using the airline’s ‘EY’ code, including an expanded network of seven rail routes on Germany’s Deutsche Bahn from Frankfurt Main Airport. The partnership with AccesRail has also been extended to the United Kingdom to include 16 destinations westbound from London Heathrow on Great Western Railway, and subject to final government approval, to 28 cities across Italy on the country’s primary rail operator, Trenitalia. Ali Saleh, Etihad Airways Vice President Alliances and Partnerships, said: “This is a tremendous product, which provides convenient rail or coach connections at some of our key gateways in Europe, enabling customers to commence their Etihad journey from multiple domestic points with the best fares available, all on the same itinerary and ticket. “As we aim to personalise the guest experience in-flight by providing more choice and greater customisation, we continue to source more strategic partnerships which will mirror this on the ground, giving options and benefits to the many who choose to travel with us in Europe. We soon hope to expand the partnership with AccesRail to more continents.” Andrew Popescu, Vice President Business Development, AccesRail said, “We are excited to be deepening our Etihad-AccesRail cooperation and look forward to continuing with Etihad on a global scale. Through this enhanced AccesRail partnership, …

Abu Dhabi Airports will begin to welcome transfer passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) from June 10, 2020. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has approved Etihad’s commencement of a limited number of transfer flights connecting 20 destinations via Abu Dhabi International Airport. The resumption of these commercial flights marks the beginning of the resurgence of the UAE’s national aviation sector.The transfer flights will be allowed to land and depart from Abu Dhabi International Airport, enabling travellers to connect easily through the UAE capital onwards to key global destinations. H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports commented, “This milestone has been enabled by the effective and swift response of our nation’s wise leadership in implementing comprehensive measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. The UAE is recognised globally as a transfer hub of choice, enabling passengers from around the world to travel with convenience and ease. With this initial step, we begin the process of restarting commercial air travel, contributing to the region’s economic recovery following COVID-19.” “We have made extensive preparations to welcome back increasing amounts of passengers to our airports, and we have worked with our longstanding partner, Etihad Airways, to implement comprehensive health and safety measures across our facilities. The welfare of passengers and our employees remains our top priority, and we continue to work with the relevant aviation authorities in the UAE to ensure their safety whilst travelling through Abu Dhabi,” he said.

Etihad Airways continues to increase the number of special flights it is operating worldwide to and from Abu Dhabi. Throughout May and June, the airline will increase frequencies on previously announced special flights and will add new services to Belgrade, Dublin, Geneva, Milan, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Toronto. In addition to the recently launched link between Melbourne and London, Etihad will also add services to Sydney, allowing a direct transit connection to and from the UK capital via Abu Dhabi. Etihad continues to follow UAE and international government, regulatory and health authority directives, and is playing its part in helping to limit the spread of COVID-19. The airline has implemented an extensive sanitisation and customer safety programme and is practicing the highest standards of hygiene at every part of the customer journey. This includes catering, aircraft and cabin deep-cleaning, check-in, health screening, boarding, inflight, crew interaction, meal service, disembarkation and ground transportation, among others.

Etihad plans to operate a reduced network of scheduled passenger services from May 1 to June 30, with the aim of gradually returning to a fuller schedule as and when the global situation improves; subject to UAE government imposed travel restrictions being lifted on passenger travel. Etihad is also continuing to operate a growing schedule of special passenger flights allowing foreign nationals in the UAE the opportunity to travel out of the country, and to carry essential belly-hold cargo such as perishables, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies. To date, the airline has also repatriated almost 600 UAE nationals on return services. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “We remain cautiously optimistic and will push ahead with our plans to resume normal flying, while striving to better serve and support our customers and our employees. While the intention is to assume a ‘business as usual’ approach to the restart of our operations, the aviation landscape has changed, and how it will look month by month is difficult to predict. This has necessitated a fundamental shift in focus for us. However, the cumulative gains achieved by our ongoing transformation, and the unwavering support of our shareholder, has left us in a relatively strong position to withstand any instability. We will pivot on this and act with agility to seize opportunities we may not have previously considered. “We are implementing a series of network-wide route and fleet efficiencies, while conducting an extensive brand study and trialing new service concepts in our guest experience proposition. We are also using this time to drive further internal improvements in the efficient use of automation and technology across all areas of the business, while …