Etihad Airways is keen to expand
its network in the US ,
chief executive James Hogan has said.
Hogan disclosed that the US
specifically is among the highest performing regions across the airline’s
global network, with an average 81 per cent load factor in 2012.
On existing routes – to New York and Chicago – a
significant portion of premium bookings are for travel to/from Abu
Dhabi , with 72 per cent of First Class passengers and 53 per cent
of Business Class passengers starting or ending their journey in Abu Dhabi .
To date, Etihad Airways has flown
nearly 1.5 million passengers to and from the US
since commencing services to New York in 2006
and Chicago in
2009.
The airline launched its third
US route in on March 31st, 2013, with daily non-stop flights between Washington , D.C. and its
home base of Abu Dhabi , the capital of the United Arab Emirates .
The route is operated by a
three-class Airbus A340-500 aircraft.
Hogan is in Washington , D.C.
He hosted an intimate cocktail
party for a delegation of VIPs and will deliver the keynote address at a US-UAE
Business Council luncheon, where he will discuss the airline’s strategy for
growth and the necessity of partnerships within the air travel industry.
The UAE is the single largest
export market for US goods in the Middle East and the US is the fifth largest trade
partner worldwide for the UAE, representing a total trade volume of US $18.3
billion in 2011.
Hogan said: “Particularly with
increasing ties between the UAE and US, both government and private sector, we
see a demand for premium services between the Washington ,
D.C. and Abu
Dhabi .
“I am delighted to bring our
award-winning Diamond First Class Suites and Pearl Business Class to the route.
“As we build our operations at Washington , D.C. , we are
also keen to expand further in the US and are examining a number of
other destinations, particularly on the West Coast.
“The point-to-point market will
be supplemented by strong traffic flows over Abu Dhabi
onwards to destinations across Asia ,
particularly the Indian Subcontinent.
“With the addition of services to
Ahmedabad this month, we now serve nine destinations across India .
“Building complementary networks
to support business and passenger flows across the globe is a key part of
Etihad Airways’ hub strategy – the growing number of connections between the US and India is a perfect example of
this.”
Through its agreement with
American Airlines, in place since September 2009, Etihad Airways will also
codeshare on connecting flights between Washington ,
D.C. and Los
Angeles and Dallas-Fort Worth.
Etihad Airways currently has 41
codeshare partnerships with airlines around the globe, resulting in a combined
network of 327 destinations, more than any other Middle Eastern airline.
Etihad is considered the World’s
Leading Airline by the World Travel Awards.
Visit us at Threeland Travel Vietnam to
get further information about traveling around the world and Vietnam tour; to have access to the best travel services and to meet
our professional consultants who're always available for help. For any inquiry
please contact us.
A warm welcome from Threelanders.
