Wednesday World Routes Special - Etihad on Freight & All-economy Class

John Shepley, vice president network planning, Etihad Airways

What are the most significant new routes on your network?

Etihad moved into the Japanese market this year with the start of flights to Tokyo and Nagoya. Then in April, we commenced operations to Baghdad, becoming the first UAE airline to operate commercial services to Iraq. This was followed by flights to Erbil in Iraq in June. In July, we commenced services to Alexandria and will launch services to Seoul on December 10. Plus, Etihad recommenced flying to Colombo, Sri Lanka in January.

Why was now the right time to launch your all-economy offering?

Etihad has built a strong brand and a robust business and it is the right time to challenge the way we serve our various markets. Our all-economy aircraft will allow us to offer a more competitive and commercially viable product in key point-to-point short-haul markets. Initially these will be Alexandria, Calicut, Colombo, Damascus, Doha and Thiruvananthapuram.

Why is your new partnership with Virgin Blue significant?

Australia is a critically important market for us and we know there are huge opportunities in working together closely in this market. By partnering across global and regional routes we can offer a comprehensive network to customers while realising significant benefits for the two airlines. Our combined route network will improve our suitability for both business and leisure travel - and increases our viability for major corporate travel accounts.

Tell us more about your new A330-200 freight aircraft.

The new A330-200F aircraft will provide additional capacity to help us expand our footprint in Asia and Europe, including China, as well as enhancing our worldwide charter services. It will operate to various Etihad Crystal Cargo destinations including Hahn; Beijing; Tripoli; Milan and N'Djamena. Etihad Crystal Cargo provides a significant contribution to our bottom line. Year on year its contribution is increasing and is now approaching 20% of the company revenue.