Speaking at the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s 14th Annual Aviation Summit in Washington, DC, James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, described open Skies has “a model of success, generating enormous benefits for travellers and for airlines in the US, the UAE and around the world”.
Hogan compared Etihad as David next to the Goliath legacy airlines, which has fought hard for its market share.
“Etihad is a David, a David who’s been facing Goliaths since 2003, when we started. In virtually every market we’ve entered, we’ve had to face existing competitors, with established businesses, established infrastructure, established sales and marketing, established brands, and established customer bases.
“In many cases, those established airlines were gifted amazing infrastructure – airports, terminals, slots, landing rights – over decades.
“To take them on, we’ve had to work harder and we’ve had to work smarter. That’s called competition.
“We’ve been helped by our geographic position. The Gulf is at the centre of today’s trade and travel routes. Today’s aircraft technology and the changing patterns of world trade mean we are positioned strongly for many new and emerging markets.
“We’ve been helped by our blank sheet of paper – no legacy systems, no legacy aircraft, no legacy mindsets.
“And we’ve been pushed hard by the vision and ambition of our shareholder to create a globally competitive airline.”
Hogan said the Etihad rapid growth was the result of its customer service, new aircraft, and a great product, at competitive prices, on routes people want to fly. He emphasises that the airline is dedicated to providing a return for its state investor. He claimed that Etihad was a “friend of the United States”, which has supported its economy with purchases from Boeing, GE and Sabre, among others.
“We work with strategic American partners – for example, with Atlas, on developing and improving global cargo operations. We work with US financial institutions, with US tourist boards, with US airports. Our commitment to the US economy supports more than 200,000 jobs.”
In conclusion, Hogan said that customers choose Etihad over others options because of its route network, product and price. “We make no apologies for offering new competitive choice for air travellers. We hope to continue to do so around the world.”