typhoonpilot
Daddy
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2002
- Posts
- 1,381
If you are willing to look at an upstart airline in the Middle East this is the one that will provide good career advancement. They are owned by the royal family of Abu Dhabi ( deep pockets ) and want to emulate Emirates. I think they are up to 4 or 5 aircraft now.
Etihad Airways to buy 5o aircraft
Abu Dhabi | By Stanley Carvalho and Stanley Carvalho, Staff Reporters | 29/03/2004 | Print this page
Etihad Airways will acquire 50 aircraft by 2009, most of which will be funded through bank financing, the airline's top executive said yesterday.
Positioned as the national airline of the UAE, Etihad Airways launched its first European route - to London - yesterday and by the end of this year it will fly to 16 destinations.
"In five years, the airline will have 50 aircraft, some leased and some through outright purchase," Chairman of Etihad Airways Dr. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, said ahead of the airline's flight to London from Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Sheikh Ahmed and Richard Makepeace with other officials and crew prior to the inaugural flight to London yesterday. ©Gulf News
"Most of the financing of aircraft will be through bank loans and maybe some funding by the owners, the government. Talks are ongoing with banks," he added.
London is Etihad's fifth destination after Amman, Beirut, Colombo and Damascus.
Flights to Bangkok will start early next month. "The airline is targeting 16 destinations by end 2004." About 200 officials, both government and business leaders, flew on the inaugural flight to London.
"It is fitting that Etihad's first flights into Europe are to London, as there is a longstanding trade relationship between the UK and the UAE. It is also an important step in the continuing economic development of the UAE and its capital Abu Dhabi," said Sheikh Ahmed.
Etihad expects exponential growth in the coming months after adding new routes into the Indian Sub-continent, the Far East and Europe.
"We have a 68 per cent average passenger load factor currently which is better than we expected for a premier airline. This is motivating us to expand.
Other destinations the airline plans to fly in the near-term include Bangkok, Mumbai, New Delhi Cairo, Khartoum, Riyadh, Kuwait, Bahrain, Manila, Jakarta and Dhaka. Bilateral air services and landing rights agreements have been signed with India and Sri Lanka.
The airline will fly five times a week to London from Abu Dhabi. Etihad's current fleet includes two widebody Airbus 300-200 aircraft and the recently acquired Airbus 340-300 aircraft.
"India is a key market for us and by August Etihad will start flights to Mumbai and by the year end to New Delhi. We are interested in other Indian and Asian destinations but it is too early to say anything," said Sheikh Ahmed.
Analysts are expecting double-digit growth in traffic to Asia this year with the subcontinent having experienced less of a dip last year than other parts of Asia.
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Typhoonpilot
Etihad Airways to buy 5o aircraft
Abu Dhabi | By Stanley Carvalho and Stanley Carvalho, Staff Reporters | 29/03/2004 | Print this page
Etihad Airways will acquire 50 aircraft by 2009, most of which will be funded through bank financing, the airline's top executive said yesterday.
Positioned as the national airline of the UAE, Etihad Airways launched its first European route - to London - yesterday and by the end of this year it will fly to 16 destinations.
"In five years, the airline will have 50 aircraft, some leased and some through outright purchase," Chairman of Etihad Airways Dr. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, said ahead of the airline's flight to London from Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Sheikh Ahmed and Richard Makepeace with other officials and crew prior to the inaugural flight to London yesterday. ©Gulf News
"Most of the financing of aircraft will be through bank loans and maybe some funding by the owners, the government. Talks are ongoing with banks," he added.
London is Etihad's fifth destination after Amman, Beirut, Colombo and Damascus.
Flights to Bangkok will start early next month. "The airline is targeting 16 destinations by end 2004." About 200 officials, both government and business leaders, flew on the inaugural flight to London.
"It is fitting that Etihad's first flights into Europe are to London, as there is a longstanding trade relationship between the UK and the UAE. It is also an important step in the continuing economic development of the UAE and its capital Abu Dhabi," said Sheikh Ahmed.
Etihad expects exponential growth in the coming months after adding new routes into the Indian Sub-continent, the Far East and Europe.
"We have a 68 per cent average passenger load factor currently which is better than we expected for a premier airline. This is motivating us to expand.
Other destinations the airline plans to fly in the near-term include Bangkok, Mumbai, New Delhi Cairo, Khartoum, Riyadh, Kuwait, Bahrain, Manila, Jakarta and Dhaka. Bilateral air services and landing rights agreements have been signed with India and Sri Lanka.
The airline will fly five times a week to London from Abu Dhabi. Etihad's current fleet includes two widebody Airbus 300-200 aircraft and the recently acquired Airbus 340-300 aircraft.
"India is a key market for us and by August Etihad will start flights to Mumbai and by the year end to New Delhi. We are interested in other Indian and Asian destinations but it is too early to say anything," said Sheikh Ahmed.
Analysts are expecting double-digit growth in traffic to Asia this year with the subcontinent having experienced less of a dip last year than other parts of Asia.
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Typhoonpilot
