Etihad Airways, the nationwide airline of the UAE, is celebrating 15 years in Australia because it first launched flights connecting the nation with its favorite locations the world over.
Etihad launched every day flights between the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, and Sydney on March 27, 2007, and later that 12 months launched flights to Brisbane, adopted by Melbourne in 2009 and Perth in 2014.
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At its peak, Etihad was working 42 weekly flights between Australia and Abu Dhabi, earlier than the airline was compelled to cut back operations within the nation because of the pandemic.
The airline now operates every day operations to Melbourne and Sydney offering a mixture of morning and night departures with connectivity to Europe, the Center East and Africa.
Tony Douglas, (above) Group Chief Government Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, stated: “Etihad has constructed a powerful cultural reference to Australia over time, tied to the group by our patronage of the humanities, elite sports activities and landmarks. We held the naming rights for Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium for 10 years and proceed to be the primary shirt sponsor for Melbourne Metropolis Soccer Membership. We have been additionally a proud associate of the Australian Sports activities Corridor of Fame for a very long time. We embraced the humanities, partnering with Australia Trend Week and the Trend Laureate, and did some wonderful work with the Sydney Opera Home for plenty of years, serving to to share Australia’s cultural icons throughout the globe.
“So far, now we have carried over 9.5 million passengers to and from Australia, connecting Aussies with the world by way of our residence Abu Dhabi.”
All through the pandemic Etihad continued to serve Australia’s wants regardless of important restrictions, serving to to maintain households linked, repatriating Australians stranded overseas, and sustaining the crucial commerce imports & exports very important for Australia’s economic system.
Etihad’s partnership with Austrade offered devoted cargo companies between Abu Dhabi and Australia to ship important provides into the Australian market and facilitated bi-directional commerce to make sure continuity of recent exports from Australia together with meat, fish and seafood, fruits, and greens.
The airline performed a humanitarian function all through the pandemic, sending medical provides and help all through 2020, and as a part of the Hope Consortium distributing vaccines all through 2021. Etihad additionally performed a big function within the aftermath of the Afghanistan disaster, serving to repatriate evacuees the world over, together with to Australia.
The UAE is Australia’s largest commerce and funding associate within the area, and the airline’s milestone coincides with the beginning of bilateral commerce talks between the UAE and Australia to ascertain a Complete Financial Partnership Settlement between the 2 nations, which might be the primary for Australia within the GCC.
Persevering with to facilitate and help Australian international commerce, Etihad has elevated cargo capability to 225 tonnes every week between Abu Dhabi and Australia. Over the previous decade, Etihad has carried greater than 430,000 tonnes of cargo to and from Australia.
Etihad can also be a long-established codeshare associate of Virgin Australia, offering travellers from throughout the nation entry to Etihad’s international community, and guests to Australia connectivity to over 80 routes on Virgin Australia’s rising home community on a single ticket.
Since 2010, Etihad Visitor and Velocity Frequent Flyer have offered members with reciprocal entry to one another’s networks and member advantages, permitting Velocity Members to earn Etihad Visitor advantages, and vice versa, together with bonus factors of as much as 100% or the redemption of free flights.
Etihad Visitor is celebrating the fifteenth anniversary alongside the opening of worldwide borders this weekend, with a whole specially-chartered 787 Dreamliner flying over 100 Etihad Visitor members and their fortunate plus-ones for an unique journey of a lifetime to Etihad’s residence, Abu Dhabi.