Etihad Airways has announced details of its current and future operations as travel restrictions around the world continue to be affected by the Corona Covid-19 pandemic.
Subject to the lifting of restrictions imposed by government agencies in the Emirates on passenger travel, Etihad plans to operate regular passenger flights within the framework of a limited network and destinations, from the first of the month of May to June 30, with the aim of gradually returning to resume its full scheduled flights in the event of improving global conditions.
Etihad continues to operate private passenger flights at an increasing frequency to allow stranded passengers to return to their homes, in addition to transporting the necessary goods in the plane's cargo hold such as perishable items, medicines and medical materials. To date, the company has evacuated about 600 Emirati citizens and returned them to the homeland.
"Unprecedented" conditions, "Etihad Aviation Group CEO" said, is the current term most frequently spoken across the aviation sector to describe the current situation. Airlines and their customers alike face enormous and immeasurable challenges. But, nevertheless, we will maintain Our optimism and we are trying to move forward with our plans to resume our usual operations, while ensuring the best services and support to our customers and employees. "
He added: "It is clear that the general landscape of the sector has changed, and it is difficult to expect the nature of business from month to month, but we are more inclined to adopt the hypothesis of the return of business to what it was. The new situation necessitated us to radically transform the areas that were in our focus. However, despite this, the amount of accomplishments gained through our continuous strategy of business transformation on the one hand and the steadfast support by our shareholder on the other hand, have made the Union in a relatively strong position to overcome any instability. Consequently, we will focus on this and ensure that Work more quickly to seize opportunities that we had not lost Naha into account previously. "
He continued: "We are introducing and applying a series of measures aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the network and the fleet, while we are conducting an in-depth study of the brand and testing new service concepts within the framework of guest experiences. We are also keen to take advantage of this stage to make wider internal improvements at the level of optimal use of mechanisms and technologies. Across all business divisions, while maintaining productivity, innovation and quality. ”
Etihad currently operates 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777-300 ER passenger transport aircraft, with five additional aircraft ready to serve, to complement the cargo fleet services currently operating five 777-200F cargo planes. These planes provide regular and special flights to transport passengers and goods in the plane's cargo hold to a number of destinations around the world.
Since March 25th, Etihad has operated up to 500 cargo and passenger flights. This included passenger and cargo cargo flights on the aircraft hold to Amsterdam, Bogota, Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, Jakarta, London Heathrow, Manila, Melbourne, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Seoul Incheon, Singapore, Tokyo Narita, Washington DC, and Zurich, to which will be added Other destinations are planned.
It should be noted that the Federation will postpone the launch of its inaugural flight to its new destination Vienna from May 22 to July 1.
It currently operates up to 100 flights with weekly returns to 32 destinations on five continents. In addition to regular cargo flights, Etihad also operates special cargo and humanitarian flights to Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Beijing, Bogota, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Chennai, Cochin, Dublin, Frankfurt, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Karachi, Khartoum, Kiev, Milan , Paris, Rome, Shanghai, Tbilisi, Wuhan, and Zagreb. It plans to introduce additional special cargo flights in the coming weeks.
With 80 percent of its fleet of passenger aircraft parked at the airport ground, the company has started the largest maintenance program in its history, with Etihad Engineering, the maintenance, repair and overhaul arm of the group, undertaking maintenance operations on 96 passenger aircraft including 29 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, and 10 aircraft Airbus A380, 38 Boeing 787 aircraft, 19 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The maintenance program ranges from light tasks such as repairing the seats and renewing the entertainment systems on the plane, to providing the dates for changing the engines and adding modifications to many of the aircraft, and therefore there will be no need to withdraw the plane from the service to perform the above-mentioned maintenance work, after the services return again.
To date, 19,000 seat covers have been washed, more than 40 new rugs have been stretched into the aisles and 367 meters of leather have been used to replace the leather seat covers. In addition to conducting checks for more than 5 thousand points of contact on the plane and manufacturing more than 4 thousand spare parts through the engineering workshop.
Etihad is keen to provide continuous support to its clients affected by the current circumstances, and this is a top priority, and has provided a package of travel exemptions and a set of solutions and special benefits to help alleviate the burden that the epidemic leaves everyone. And travelers who booked their flights from the company immediately before August 31, 2020, have more flexibility to change their reservations or make as much benefit as possible from the added and generous value provided by the Union Credit Program. The Etihad Credit gives each of its customers the opportunity to obtain the value of the base ticket and up to $ 400, in addition to approximately 5,000 miles of Etihad Guest Miles for use on their future trips. Moreover, for tickets booked directly from Etihad, from within Europe or the United States, customers can redeem their tickets if desired.
The Etihad Guest loyalty program supports its members by providing the ability to maintain or upgrade the status of the membership tier through a number of initiatives during the period in which they will not be able to travel during the current conditions. In addition to being able to receive monthly rewards from Category Miles, members who achieve 80 percent of eligibility requirements get an extension or promotion of their membership of up to 12 months. While members who meet less than 80 percent of these conditions receive an extension of their membership of up to three months. For those members who have shown activity within the program over the past eighteen months, the miles that expire in March and those that expire in April and May will be extended for an additional three months. Members can also donate their miles to charities, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UAE Red Crescent, which support refugees who are at greater risk of contracting the Coronavirus and its consequences.
The award-winning catering division of Etihad Airport Services has been mandated by a number of government agencies, labor institutions and social centers to prepare and distribute meals for individuals affected by the Corona Covid-19 epidemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has prepared and distributed up to more than 15,000 meals per day to people subject to self-isolation or quarantine and the first line of defense from medical personnel, humanitarian efforts teams and other labor institutions along the capital Abu Dhabi.
Etihad Airport Services also provides necessary amenities for the Etihad employees who are in temporary self-isolation in the city of Masdar, so that they can continue their work on cargo flights and special travelers. This includes cargo loading personnel, freight representatives, pilots and air hospitality crews. In addition to providing and delivering meals free of charge to those who need them, from the Union staff residing in the housing allocated to them by the company.