AVIATION
Etihad flies record 10.29 mn passengers last year
Etihad Airways has surpassed its target of carrying 10 million
passengers in 2012 and is set to achieve a 22 per cent increase on the
total of 8.41 million passengers for 2011.
The increase in passenger numbers - up to a total of 10.29 million -
represents an extra 1.88 million passengers travelling on the carrier’s
global network that now covers 87 of its own passenger and cargo
destinations and 245 code share destinations.
The passenger growth for Etihad Airways is mirrored by its equity
partners.
By the end of 2012, airberlin is expected to have carried 33.4
million passengers, Virgin Australia 19.5 million passengers, Aer Lingus
nearly 11 million passengers and Air Seychelles 241,000 passengers.
Etihad Airways and its equity partners would have collectively
carried more than 74 million passengers in 2012, with cooperation
between the five airlines greatly contributing to passenger growth.
An example of the success of this cooperation is the 300,000
passengers airberlin and Etihad Airways have delivered onto each other’s
networks during the last 12 months.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer,
said: “Etihad Airways has achieved significant expansion in 2012 and
therefore it’s very satisfying to pass our target of flying more than 10
million passengers during an year for the first time.
“We have launched flights to six new destinations during the last
year - Tripoli, Shanghai, Nairobi, Basra, Lagos, and Ahmedabad - which
have all contributed to the 22 per cent increase in passenger numbers.”
Overall in 2012, Etihad Cargo carried a record 365,000 tonnes, 18 per
cent more than in 2011.
Etihad Airways’ busiest route was Bangkok with the airline carrying
nearly 691,000 passengers to the Thai capital during the year, a 38 per
cent increase on 2011.
This was closely followed by Manila, Heathrow and Jeddah. Sydney,
Paris, Frankfurt, Manchester, Doha and Dublin, complete the list of the
10 most popular routes.
During 2012, Etihad Airways beat its previous record for the number
of passengers carried in a single day with 33,766 passengers flying on
Saturday 14 July.
The airline took delivery of seven new aircraft in 2012, three Airbus
A320s and four Boeing B777s.
Etihad Airways will take delivery of 14 new aircraft in 2013, four
A320 passenger aircraft, one A321 passenger aircraft and one A330
freighter from Airbus; two B777 freighters and six B777-300ER passenger
aircraft from Boeing.
The airline has announced it would start flights to at least three
new destinations in 2013, Washington DC in March, Sao Paulo in June, and
Ho Chi Minh City in October. @etihad.ae
|