Etihad celebrates fifth birthday

Etihad Airways celebrates its fifth year in business this month, it has emerged.

Etihad Airways celebrates its fifth year in business this month, it has emerged.

The carrier was launched in 2003 with its first flight to Al Ain and has since provided services to almost 14 million passengers going on more than 87,000 flights.

In addition, Etihad’s fleet has since grown to 39 aircraft and the company has won over 40 awards for its services.

This includes its recent accolades at the World Travel Awards, where it won leading airline in the Middle East, best first class and leading travel website, Al Bawaba reported.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said: “Etihad has achieved significant growth since it took to the skies five years ago and it continues to maintain its position as the world’s fastest-growing airline.”

The carrier launched a number of new services during 2008, including flights to Chennai and Belarus and is to begin flights to Melbourne in March next year.