Worldroom Travel Digest
May 03, 2005

Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates has announced that it will be participating in Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2005 which will take place from May 3-6 at The Dubai World Trade Centre. This will be the airline’s second appearance at the travel trade show since its debut last year. The exhibition will provide Etihad with the opportunity to demonstrate its achievements and developments over the past year and to interact with customers, the travel trade, and key industry decision makers.

Commenting on the airline’s participation at ATM, H.E. Dr. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saif Al Nahyan, Chairman of Civil Aviation Department in Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Etihad Airways said, “ATM is one of the leading travel shows in the world, and plays a key role in promoting the travel and tourism industry in the UAE. The UAE is fast becoming one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations and Etihad Airways is becoming an increasingly important part of this growth.” He continued, “All of us here at Etihad Airways look forward to participating in ATM. I am confident that the event will provide us with the ideal opportunity to promote our new services and routes and we are very grateful for this opportunity.”

Etihad Airways currently flies to 16 destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Asia and has an ambitious strategy to increase this number to 70 destinations by 2010.

In keeping with this plan, the airline will announce at ATM the expansion of its European network with the addition of a new route to Frankfurt, starting from June 1, 2005. Frankfurt, Germany’s business and financial centre is an important addition to Etihad’s growing network.

As one of Europe’s main travel hubs and Germany’s most international city, Frankfurt provides access to many of the key destinations in the European region. An increasing flow of passenger traffic between Frankfurt and the UAE, means that this latest addition to Etihad’s network is a strong strategic move for the airline, facilitating easier access for travel between the two hubs.

Etihad Airways looks forward to participating in ATM 2005 and welcomes all customers and travel trade to their stand located at Exhibition Hall 3, Stand 466.

Etihad Airways, although a new arrival, already flies to 16 destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The growing network now serves Amman, Bahrain, Bangkok, Beirut, Cairo, Colombo, Damascus, Dammam, Geneva, Karachi, London (Heathrow), London (Gatwick), Mumbai, Munich, New Delhi and Riyadh.

In addition to Etihad’s rapidly expanding international routes, the airline has also created Etihad Holidays in record time. Launched in May 2004, Etihad Holidays offers an array of over 170 hotels in more than 35 exciting holiday destinations in 14 countries – from vibrant bustling cities and picturesque, romantic beach resorts to cultural breaks and world renowned hotels.

Etihad’s focus is on doing things differently – reinventing the way an airline works, with the emphasis very much on creating new standards in hospitality. Etihad refers to passengers as ‘guests’ and has three ‘guest zones’ – Diamond, Pearl and Coral - rather than classes. These do not correspond directly to first, business and economy classes. Each zone provides a premium service, with quality and undivided attention emphasized.

[Source: eTurboNews]