Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2001, marking two decades of operation in the aviation industry.

Etihad Airways commenced commercial service a week after a ceremonial flight from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain. The first route served was Beirut, Lebanon.

Etihad Airways officially began its commercial operations with the launch of services to Beirut, Lebanon on November 12, 2003.

In June 2004, Etihad made a significant aircraft order worth US$8 billion for five Boeing 777-300ERs and 24 Airbus aircraft, including four A380-800s. This order was one of the largest in commercial aviation history at that time.

In October 2005, Etihad Airways expanded its services to Brussels and Toronto.

Etihad Guest, the airline's frequent flyer program, was launched on 30 August 2006, offering various benefits and perks to members.

James Hogan, formerly CEO of Gulf Air, was appointed as the president and chief executive officer of Etihad Airways on September 10, 2006. He served in this role until January 2018.

On 15 November 2007, a new A340-600 due for delivery to Etihad Airways was damaged beyond repair during ground testing at Airbus' facilities in France, resulting in injuries to nine people on board.

On December 18, 2007, Etihad announced its title sponsorship for the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to be held on Yas Island. The airline's logo and Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix branding appeared on the aircraft before the race.

In October 2008, Etihad announced its sponsorship of the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, which was previously known as the Telstra Dome. The stadium was renamed Etihad Stadium starting from March 1, 2009.

In November 2009, Etihad Airways won the “World’s Leading Airline” award at the World Travel Awards in London, becoming the first Middle East airline to achieve this.

In August 2010, Etihad Airways signed a 10-year strategic partnership agreement with Virgin Australia, acquiring a 22% equity stake in Virgin Australia Holdings.

In December 2011, Etihad announced acquiring a 29.21% stake in Air Berlin, Europe's sixth-largest airline, with Hogan appointed as Vice Chairman.

Etihad Cargo, previously known as Etihad Crystal Cargo, refreshed its brand image in June 2012 by dropping the 'Crystal' part and applying full Etihad Cargo titles in line with the airline's corporate design.

On 1 August 2013, Etihad signed a deal with the First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, giving Etihad a 49% stake in the Serbian national carrier Jat Airways, which was rebranded as Air Serbia.

Jet Airways announced selling a 24% stake to Etihad for US$379 million, with the deal completed on 12 November 2013.

On March 25, 2014, Etihad Airways announced a partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States to become the Official Airline Partner of MLS in a multi-year deal.

Etihad agreed to take a 49% stake in Alitalia for an estimated €560 million, with the deal closed on 8 August 2014.

Etihad Airways formed the airline alliance 'Etihad Airways Partners' in October 2015 to collaborate with other airlines, but ceased operations in 2018 due to financial difficulties.

On 4 May 2016, Airbus A330-200 operating as flight EY474 encountered severe turbulence while on approach to Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Indonesia, resulting in injuries to 31 passengers.

On 24 January 2017, Hogan announced stepping down from Etihad, with Peter Baumgartner becoming the acting CEO.

On 2 May 2017, Alitalia filed for bankruptcy after facing financial challenges.

On 27 July 2017, Etihad reported a loss of US$1.873 billion for 2016.

On 9 January 2018, Mark Powers was appointed as Group CFO of Etihad Airways.

Etihad Airways made history by flying the world's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner commercial flight using jet fuel derived from the salicornia plant. The flight took off from Abu Dhabi and flew to Amsterdam, powered by General Electric's GEnx-1B engines.

On 28 April 2019, Etihad announced that it would remove seat-back screens in the economy section of 23 of its narrow-body Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, used for flights of up to 5 hours.

On March 5, 2020, Etihad Airways announced a 55% cumulative improvement in core results since the implementation of its transformation programme in 2017.

On 1 May 2021, Etihad Airways sold its 40% stake in Air Seychelles back to the Government of Seychelles.

Etihad Airways updated their Airline Requirements page within their profile.

Etihad Airways is a prestigious international airline known for its exceptional services and accolades such as World's Best First Class. It is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, operating flights to various global destinations from Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Regular updates on routes provided on a daily basis starting from the week commencing November 27, 2023.

Regular updates on routes provided on a daily basis starting from the week commencing December 11, 2023.

Etihad Airways adds two new routes to its India network, enhancing connectivity between India and other destinations.