Etihad to lease or buy six A320s to widen network

21 August 2007

Dubai: Etihad Airways will lease or buy six Airbus A320s over the next six months to enhance its regional network and feed customers into its long-haul routes from Abu Dhabi.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways' chief executive, said the addition of the 140-seat A320 will allow Etihad to increase the number of flights to Gulf destinations and improve transfer times to its global network.

"Narrow-body aircraft are ideally suited to our growing Middle East and short-haul network and it will allow us to redeploy the wide body aircraft, currently in use on these routes, to our long haul destinations," he said in a release.

The airline said it has purchased one A320 from KJ Aviation, a US leasing firm, and two more have been procured from Air Malta, in a short-term "wet-lease arrangement" where both the aircraft and crew are provided. The aircraft will join the Etihad fleet in September and October.

A further three are expected by the end of the first quarter in 2008, a spokesperson said, and Etihad is in negotiations with several leasing firms to either buy or lease the planes.

Tehran will be the first city to be served with the new aircraft, followed by Beirut, Dammam, Karachi, Muscat, Bahrain, Cairo, Doha, Kuwait, Amman and Damascus.

Etihad's first A320 will have two passenger cabins with 120 seats in economy and 20 in business class.

Inroads into Africa

Etihad Airways made further inroads into West Africa with the signing of a codeshare agreement with Royal Air Moroc, Morocco's national airline.

Travellers based in Morocco and West Africa will also be able to access Etihad's expanding global flight network by booking with Royal Air Moroc.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways' chief executive officer, said: "The closer cooperation with Royal Air Moroc will significantly enhance the travel experience and potential destinations for our customers flying to Morocco and West Africa."

Etihad flies four times a week to Casablanca its second North African destination following Cairo. This is Etihad's third codeshare, along with SN Brussels Airlines and UK-based bmi.

By Ivan Gale

Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.