Etihad leads local charge to house staff numbers

Etihad Airways is trying to secure more apartments in Abu Dhabi to house its rapidly growing workforce.The airline yesterday issued a tender stating it was looking to lease residential apartments in Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed City."Etihad continues to expand as we add new destinations to our network and new aircraft to our fleet," said a spokesman for Etihad. "As part of our ongoing commitment to providing our staff with the best possible housing, we are always looking for opportunities in good locations within Abu Dhabi. At the moment, we are actively recruiting for staff - both UAE national and expatriate - to fill a wide variety of positions."Gulf airlines have continued to grow despite the fact the global aviation industry has been hit hard by the economic downturn and high oil prices. With new aircraft being delivered over the next few years, Etihad is rapidly expanding its workforce. The company is already one of the largest employers in Abu Dhabi. The carrier has more than 100 aircraft on order.By 2020, when all of its planes have been delivered, Etihad is expected to have tripled its workforce to about 27,000 employees.The carrier is regularly adding destinations, including additional flights to China in December and its first flights to the Maldives in November. Etihad flies to more than 70 destinations and has a fleet of 61 aircraft. It operates more than 1000 flights a week. The airline did not specify how many apartments it is looking for.Dubai's carriers are also recruiting aggressively. Emirates Airline plans to employ 80,000 workers in the next 10 years. Meanwhile, flydubai has said it needs to recruit 600 pilots over the next four years to meet the needs of its growing fleet and rapidly expanding route network.