Airlines Etihad Airways enters charter flight market

UAE-carrier Etihad Airways has released, that it has introduced charter flight services.

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One of the largest carriers in the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, has added charter flight services to its service portfolio. This strategic move represents an expansion of the airline´s business and its commitment to find new ways of staying profitable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alex Featherstone, Vice President Network Planning & Alliances, Etihad Airways, explained, why the decision was made in regard to the pandemic: “While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the commercial aviation industry, charter flights provide a convenient alternative to travel, providing customers with the flexibility to choose the departure time, destination and routing.”

Etihad Airways will offer fully customisable flight options for business and leisure guests, who can choose from a variety of choices including dedicated passenger service, cargo only flights or multi-role operations with a combined passenger and cargo package.

The imposed travel restrictions by countries around the world due to the pandemic have hit Etihad, just like every other passenger airline, hard. The carrier has to deal with a drop in revenue and tries to use its aircraft as efficient as possible. Over the course of the last months, several airlines decided to use their passenger aircraft for cargo operations, too, as the demand for cargo capacity and overall freight operations has risen significantly.

This year, Etihad has flown over 500 charters for passengers, humanitarian missions or government flights. Over the course of this year, the carrier has transported over 3.8 Million tonnes of cargo for the government and its national aid programme.

To ensure a maximum of safety, Etihad has introduced Etihad Wellness, a health and safety programme, which “includes specially trained Wellness Ambassadors, a first in the industry, who have been introduced by the airline to provide essential travel health information and care on the ground and on every flight.”

Etihad Airways is the second flag-carrier of the IAE and has its headquarters near Abu Dhabi´s International Airport. The carrier commenced operations in November 2003 and is normally flying to 81 destinations across the globe.

Due to the lower travel demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, Etihad has parked nearly half of its fleet. The full fleet consists of over 100 aircraft, including 20 Airbus A320s, 10 A321s, 10 A380s, 25 Boeing 777 with seven 777 Freighters included, and 39 787-9 and -10 Dreamliner.

Source © etihad.com

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