ID :
11710
Mon, 07/07/2008 - 09:52
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/11710
The shortlink copeid
Etihad Airways to increase fleet to 42
Abu Dhabi, July 7, 2008 (WAM) - Etihad Airways is continuing to take
delivery of aircraft with five new Airbus planes due by the year-end.
"Etihad is expanding its global flying programme and adding aircraft to a fleet, which will grow from the current 37 to 42 by the end of 2008," spokesman Thomas Clarke told Emirates Business. "The new aircraft will consist of three A320s and two A340s."
"In 2004 Etihad began with the largest start-up fleet order of 29 aircraft
worth Dh29.4 billion and it is now building a balanced fleet of wide-body
and narrow-body aircraft allowing it to better serve short-haul and
long-haul destinations. In addition to this last year we placed an order
worth more than Dh8bn for 12 airbus aircraft at the Paris Air Show."
Clarke said the airline contributed Dh10.8bn to Abu Dhabi's non-oil gross
domestic product in 2007 and helped generate or support 48,813 non-oil jobs
in the emirate. He said based on Etihad's current growth projections the
airline's economic contribution to Abu Dhabi's GDP would increase by 67 per
cent to Dh18.1bn by 2011 and the carrier would help support 84,254 jobs in
the emirate. By 2016 the GDP figure is set to increase to Dh28bn with
140,565 jobs supported.
The airline yesterday released its first half-year report for 2008, which
records passenger growth of 41 per cent compared with the same period last
year. The number of passengers rose to 2.8 million from two million. The
report says the airline is well on track to achieve its target of carrying
six million passengers by the year-end.
CEO James Hogan said: "Etihad's performance during the first six months of
2008 has been extremely strong against a well documented backdrop of higher
fuel prices and economic slow-down in parts of Europe and the Americas.
"Despite these significant challenges faced by many airlines Etihad is not
seeing any signs of a decline in demand in any of our markets or any of our
cabins. Indeed our forward bookings are currently well ahead of expectations
and we anticipate another very busy summer," he said. The report reveals
that Etihad witnessed the busiest day in its four-year history last Friday
when a record-breaking 19,709 passengers flew on the airline's network at a
seat factor of 85 per cent.
2.8m passengers fly Etihad in H1: Etihad Airways carried 2.8 million
passengers in the first half of the year, recording a 41 per cent increase
from a year earlier. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier, which said yesterday it is
well on track to achieve its target of carrying six million passengers by
the year-end, achieved average seat factors of 73 per cent across its
network of 45 destinations between January 1 and June 30.
Etihad will also add non-stop flights to five new destinations – Minsk,
Kozhikode, Chennai, Moscow and Almaty – from its base in Abu Dhabi. The
airline's spokesperson, Iain Burns, on Monday said Etihad plans to place an
order for between 50 and 100 aircraft at the 60th Farnborough Airshow to be
held from July 13 to 20, despite increasing fuel prices.
delivery of aircraft with five new Airbus planes due by the year-end.
"Etihad is expanding its global flying programme and adding aircraft to a fleet, which will grow from the current 37 to 42 by the end of 2008," spokesman Thomas Clarke told Emirates Business. "The new aircraft will consist of three A320s and two A340s."
"In 2004 Etihad began with the largest start-up fleet order of 29 aircraft
worth Dh29.4 billion and it is now building a balanced fleet of wide-body
and narrow-body aircraft allowing it to better serve short-haul and
long-haul destinations. In addition to this last year we placed an order
worth more than Dh8bn for 12 airbus aircraft at the Paris Air Show."
Clarke said the airline contributed Dh10.8bn to Abu Dhabi's non-oil gross
domestic product in 2007 and helped generate or support 48,813 non-oil jobs
in the emirate. He said based on Etihad's current growth projections the
airline's economic contribution to Abu Dhabi's GDP would increase by 67 per
cent to Dh18.1bn by 2011 and the carrier would help support 84,254 jobs in
the emirate. By 2016 the GDP figure is set to increase to Dh28bn with
140,565 jobs supported.
The airline yesterday released its first half-year report for 2008, which
records passenger growth of 41 per cent compared with the same period last
year. The number of passengers rose to 2.8 million from two million. The
report says the airline is well on track to achieve its target of carrying
six million passengers by the year-end.
CEO James Hogan said: "Etihad's performance during the first six months of
2008 has been extremely strong against a well documented backdrop of higher
fuel prices and economic slow-down in parts of Europe and the Americas.
"Despite these significant challenges faced by many airlines Etihad is not
seeing any signs of a decline in demand in any of our markets or any of our
cabins. Indeed our forward bookings are currently well ahead of expectations
and we anticipate another very busy summer," he said. The report reveals
that Etihad witnessed the busiest day in its four-year history last Friday
when a record-breaking 19,709 passengers flew on the airline's network at a
seat factor of 85 per cent.
2.8m passengers fly Etihad in H1: Etihad Airways carried 2.8 million
passengers in the first half of the year, recording a 41 per cent increase
from a year earlier. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier, which said yesterday it is
well on track to achieve its target of carrying six million passengers by
the year-end, achieved average seat factors of 73 per cent across its
network of 45 destinations between January 1 and June 30.
Etihad will also add non-stop flights to five new destinations – Minsk,
Kozhikode, Chennai, Moscow and Almaty – from its base in Abu Dhabi. The
airline's spokesperson, Iain Burns, on Monday said Etihad plans to place an
order for between 50 and 100 aircraft at the 60th Farnborough Airshow to be
held from July 13 to 20, despite increasing fuel prices.
