The future of international travel and tourism came under the spotlight on the Global Stage at the 2022 edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM).
The event revealed that, in Q1 2022, the performance for Etihad Airways was $272.2 million EBITDA and the carrier is expanding its fleet with new deliveries of the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner – representing a new generation of aircraft offering a more environmentally sustainable mode of travel.
The Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787-9 bring up to 25 percent more fuel-efficient than their predecessors and recent ‘sustainability flights’ conducted by Etihad showed savings of 40 minutes of flight time and six tonnes of C02 on the 6.5-hour flight sector.
Moreover, ATM pointed out that Etihad achieved its best-ever performance in Q1 2020. Around this period, and as the pandemic hit, the airline reduced its fleet size. This strategy, along with the partnership in July 2020 with Air Arabia has proved fruitful, signaling a new era for the airline.
In the same context, the Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau (ADCEB), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Etihad Airways to further bolster support for MICE groups traveling to Abu Dhabi.
According to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the MoU, which was announced at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) event, will allow eligible Advantage Abu Dhabi applicants additional flight benefits and perks such as group booking discounts, complimentary flights for large MICE group bookings on direct flights, and special flight rates for site/destination inspection trips to Abu Dhabi for clients that hold their business events and incentive groups in the emirate.
Similarly, ATM said that Air Arabia achieved profits across each quarter of 2021, with the codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways playing a major role in its success. The airline has recently launched 44 new routes and is preparing to take two new airlines to the skies this summer with ‘Fly Jinnah’ in Pakistan, and ‘Fly Arna’ in Armenia.
Air Arabia’s 60-strong fleet is expected to triple in the coming months with 120 aircraft on order and a goal of 160-200 planes by the year 2030.
