“From Abu Dhabi to the World”
Skytrax rating: 4 stars
No alliance membership
Operations
Globally
- 70 destinations (stop-overs at Abu Dhabi)
South Africa
- Various routes
General
Etihad Airways (Etihad) is the national flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and has been in operation since 2003, making it the newest of the three major Middle Eastern airlines. It is claimed to be the fastest-growing airline in the history of commercial air travel but Qatar Airways currently has comparable aircraft orders, so the issue is debatable. However, in 2008 Etihad made the largest aircraft order ever by fixing requests for 100 confirmed units and options on a further 55 planes. This order represents massive expansion off a base fleet of only 62 aircraft. In addition to fleet investment, passenger numbers also indicate enormous growth, increasing by about 2.5 million between 2007 and 2010.
Etihad has chosen not to join any of the three international airline alliances, but does have agreements with more than ten airlines, most of them also non-members of the alliances.
Etihad Airways plane, with the national coat of arms on the tailfin.
Etihad offers three cabin classes with unique names:
- Diamond Zone (First Class)
- Pearl Zone (Business Class)
- Coral Zone (Economy Class)
These names are a nice touch and the creature comforts are lavish, including reclinable seats in the Diamond Zone that allow people to dine opposite one another. An interesting feature in the menu is the “Kitchen Anytime” concept according to which First Class passengers can decide on when they want to have their meals. All the classes have electronic entertainment and a USB-powered system that allows suitably equipped passengers to supply their own media. The frequent flyer program is called “Etihad Guest”.
Etihad has a number of sports sponsorships, both locally in the UAE and also in Europe, Australia and the UK. Etihad sponsors teams in several sports – F1 racing, rugby, soccer (football – English Premier side Manchester City) and hurling. This type of corporate involvement on a financial level as a benefactor indicates the vast financial prosperity of the airline. It is highly uncommon for a major international airline to engage in this type of sports sponsorship, or any sponsorship. Tight operating budgets and multinational footprints, as well as the absence of a consumable product, make tying an airline to a specific location or brand a lot harder than in the case of other types of products. However, Etihad has made a substantial financial commitment to the the sponsorship process and in conjunction with its large-scale fleet expansion this seems to indicate very much above-average financial success and security on the part of the airline.
