A380 to lead Etihad’s Australian expansion
Guest Writers are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the specific writer directly
Etihad Airways has outlined a series of major changes to its Australian operations, including the deployment of its new Airbus A380s on key routes to the country.
Speaking at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit in Sydney, Etihad’s president & CEO, James Hogan, unveiled a raft of planned upgrades to the carrier’s Australian operations, including new routes, flights, aircraft and airport facilities.
And central to this growth will be the deployment of Etihad’s brand new A380s to both Sydney and Melbourne, following the double-decker aircraft’s entry into service in 2014. Etihad also plans to develop new premium lounges at Sydney and Melbourne airports, add more flights to Melbourne and Brisbane, and launch a new route connecting Abu Dhabi with Perth.
Hogan also revealed that Etihad is planning to increase its stake in Virgin Australia from 10% to 19.9%.
“Virgin Australia is a key member of our ever-expanding airline equity alliance, and Etihad Airways is an active and long-term investor in Virgin,” Hogan said. “We have a significant presence in Australia, with 28 weekly departures, annual expenditure of over AU$100 million (US$89m), direct employment of 106 staff and engagement of 415 local contractors.
“The Virgin Australia partnership enables us to connect with 45 destinations in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, while we reciprocate by providing connections via our Abu Dhabi hub to a wide range of destinations in Europe, UK, Ireland and Africa,” he added.
Etihad is currently undertaking a major global expansion. Having already sealed equity stakes in several carriers, including Ireland’s Aer Lingus, Air Seychelles and airberlin, the Emirati carrier also recently tied up a deal that will see it rebrand Serbia’s national carrier, JatAirways. It is also in the process of taking a significant stake in India’s Jet Airways.
The airline is also expanding its fleet, with more than 50 A380s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners expected to be delivered from 2014 onwards.
Comments are closed.