Etihad 'driving growth in capital by creating jobs'

Abu Dhabi Etihad Airways drives Abu Dhabi's econ-omic development by creating thousands of jobs for both residents and nationals, according to President and CEO James Hogan. The airline is driving the steadily increasing occupancy in the capital's 127 hotels, which generated Dh408 million in combined revenue in January. One of the fastest growing airlines, Etihad has 9,000 employees, of which 7,500 are based in Abu Dhabi. The carrier's plan is to expand its employee base to 27,000 by 2017, Hogan told the Global Financial Markets Forum in the capital yesterday. The airline also has plans to increase the number of Emirati employees to 31 per cent by 2015, compared to 13 per cent in 2010. Etihad carried 8.5 million passengers last year, a 17 per cent increase over 2010. Its cargo activity also achieved an increase of 18 per cent. These figures are expected to improve this year as new destinations are introduced. Recently, the airline announced the start of flights to Lagos, Nigeria and Basra, Iraq, in addition to daily flights to Washington from next year. Abu Dhabi International Airport will this year begin construction of its new Midfield Terminal Complex, which is planned to become the primary gateway for airlines operating flights into Abu Dhabi, and the future home of Etihad. The project, for which a contractor has yet to be announced, will increase the airport's capacity to 30 million passengers per year. Today, the airport handles more than 12 million passengers annually, according to the Abu Dhabi Airport Company's statistics. Etihad has also announced new partnerships with several airlines. Last year it bought a 30 per cent stake in Air Berlin, making it the largest shareholder. It has also created a strategic partnership with Air Seychelles by taking a 40 per cent stake. From gulfnews