Etihad Airways,the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday took its sponsorship of Manchester City Football Club to new heights with the unveilingof a specially liveried A330-200 aircraft.
The new "BlueMoon Rising" livery also marks the commencement of double daily flights betweenManchester and Abu Dhabi, effective from August 1, 2011. Etihad currently fliesto the UAE's capital city seven times a week.
A team of 40 paintersworked around the clock for 18 days in Abu Dhabi to paint the A330-200 in thecolours of Manchester City. 450 litres of paint were required to complete thejob.
The aircraft,which will operate on the Abu Dhabi-Manchester route, will also serve Milan,Frankfurt, Brussels, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Singapore,Istanbul and destinations throughout the Middle East and India.
James Hogan,Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are very proud of our sponsorshipof Manchester City Football Club, and of our commitment to the wider community.Manchester has been a key destination for Etihad for five years, and theincrease in frequency to double daily indicates our dedication to the region.
"Business andleisure travellers from all over the northwest of England can now easily takeadvantage of the services, whether flying to Abu Dhabi, or further afield todestinations such as Thailand, Singapore or Australia."
In December,2010, Etihad opened its premium lounge at Manchester airport.
Etihad Airwayshas been Manchester City Football Club's main club sponsor since May, 2009.During that time the club has enjoyed considerable success, including its firstFA Cup win since 1969 in the 2010-2011 season.
Etihad Airwayshas built an impressive portfolio of international sponsorship partners. Theyinclude the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Harlequins RugbyFootball Club, the Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championships, the Abu Dhabi GolfChampionships and the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne.
Etihad Airwayswas launched in 2003. It currently serves 70 destinations in Europe, theAmericas, Africa, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region.
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About Etihad
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UnitedArab Emirates, began operations in 2003, and in 2010 carried more than sevenmillion passengers. From its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihadserves 70 cities in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and NorthAmerica (New York, Chicago and Toronto), with a fleet of 58 Airbus and Boeingaircraft, and 100 aircraft on order, including 10 Airbus A380s, the world'slargest passenger aircraft. For more information, please visit: www.etihadairways.com.
AboutManchester City Football Club
Informallyknown as "The Blues" or "The Citizens", Manchester City FC is an EnglishPremier League side, founded in 1880 as St Mark's West Gorton. The Clubhas won 22 major trophies and counts the European Cup Winners' Cup, twoLeague Championship titles, and five FA Cups amongst its honours. Under coachRoberto Mancini, the Club plays its domestic home fixtures at the EtihadStadium, a spectacular 47,500 seat arena, which the Blues made their homefollowing the successful Commonwealth Games in 2003. For more information,please visit www.mcfc.co.uk.
Etihad Media Contact:
Kelsey Paquin
kpaquin@etihad.ae
+97150 642 5910
MCFCMedia Contact:
VickyKloss
Vicky.kloss@mcfc.co.uk
+44 7736 269270
© Press Release 2011
