The facility has been treating vulnerable populations, including Sudanese refugees who are fleeing the conflict in their home country
uae2 hours ago
Etihad Airways, the world’s first commercial airline to operate with a 100 per cent vaccinated cabin crew and pilots, said on Wednesday that the carrier would have smaller Boeing 787 Dreamliner as its backbone going forward in the post-pandemic recovery era.
The Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s chief executive officer Tony Douglas said that he was not sure if the airline’s Airbus A380 superjumbo jets will ever return or how many A350s are needed.
“The point really is to concentrate on the backbone, and the backbone for us is the 787,” Douglas said on Bloomberg Television.
On swapping 777X order for Dreamliner, Douglas said: “At the moment we haven’t got a fixed date for delivery on 777X, and given that we have parked so many of our aircraft — for example our 380s, I’m not sure we’ll ever operate them again.”
Douglas’ comments underscore how far the pandemic is threatening to transform travel as airlines shift focus to shorter routes where demand is expected to recover faster, potentially at the expense of the globe-spanning super-hub model long championed by the three biggest Mideast carriers.
On the bleak prospects of more airlines going bankrupt in 2021, he said already several carriers have gone into administration or voluntary administration.
“Sadly I think that list will get longer as this particular problem continues.”
Douglas said the industry would be able to achieve 2019 demand levels only by 2023.
Etihad has a fleet of 40 Dreamliner aircraft and potentially 11 more still to come after already trimming its order by 20 aircraft in 2019. Alongside the 787s it’s currently looking to deploy no more than 12 Airbus A350s, Douglas said. The company has an order for 20 of the planes, down from 62 originally, of which five have been delivered and are standing idle.
On the airline’s focus on helping to curb the spread of Covid-19 and give passengers who travel with the airline peace of mind, he said: “We proactively made the vaccine available to all our employees to not only help combat the effects of Covid-19 but to make travellers feel confident and reassured the next time they fly with us,” chief executive Tony Douglas said in a statement.
The airline has made a coronavirus vaccine developed by China’s Sinopharm available to employees.
“We are the only airline in the world that is 100 per cent PCR tested at both point of origin and point of arrival. So, we can absolutely assure everybody on board is tested and therefore from a wellness point of view, it gives you peace of mind.”
— issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com
The facility has been treating vulnerable populations, including Sudanese refugees who are fleeing the conflict in their home country
uae2 hours ago
Six buildings were levelled in the initial wave of strikes and according to a preliminary toll, six people were killed and 91 wounded
mena2 hours ago
A perfect meal should strike a balance between protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats
uae3 hours ago
Temperatures may reach a high of 40 degrees Celsius in Abu Dhabi and 37 degrees Celsius in Dubai
uae3 hours ago
Being recognised as a major defence partner was a welcome development that mirrored a confidence in US policy, says Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed
uae3 hours ago
Institutions also conduct psychometric tests in secondary years to help guide future career choices
education5 hours ago
Originally from New Zealand, Steve Ashby formed ‘Rise,’ a community-driven initiative aimed at raising awareness and supporting those affected
health5 hours ago
Cardiologists recommend that healthy adults undergo cardiac checks every two to four years, particularly those 40 years old and above
uae5 hours ago