“If you look at the capital deployment that we are going to have over the next five years, we are going to be investing USD 10 billion in new aircraft or USD 2 billion per year. We have another USD 37 billion coming from our own cash flow generation, so essentially, it’s on us to finance our growth,” he said.

Neves also confirmed that the Abu Dhabi carrier, which is speculated to go public in 2026, is ready to roll out its IPO as needed.

“We are ready to go. We could go public anytime. But that is not an objective function that we have as a management or as a board. When companies usually go public, it is to finance growth. We don’t need that,” the Group CEO continued.

Abu Dhabi sovereign investor ADQ retains full ownership of Etihad Airways, which reported 20% year-on-year growth and a 25% increase in September.

During the Dubai Airshow, the airline announced a major expansion of its widebody fleet with 32 additional Airbus aircraft, further accelerating the flag carrier’s growth and reinforcing its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing full-service players.

The agreement includes a mix of A350-1000s, A350F freighters, and A330-900s through both direct orders and lease commitments, with first deliveries beginning in 2027, which also marks one of the earliest widebody availability windows in the global aviation market.

This new commitment follows Etihad Airways’ agreement earlier in 2025 for 28 additional Boeing widebody aircraft, bringing the airline’s total new widebody orders for 2025 to 60 across the two major aviation giants.

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According to the reports, November 2024’s agreement between Airbus and CFM comes after a competition between repair shops and aircraft manufacturers for limited engines or parts.

It is anticipated that CFM will transfer some engines that were originally assigned to the aftermarket to Airbus. Although the exact number of engines was not immediately known, the agreement gives Airbus more confidence that barring other supply disruptions, it can move closer to achieving the delivery targets of “around 770” aircraft for 2024, which are generally regarded as difficult.

“We are working hard to meet demand from our customers and to maximise fleet utilisation,” said a spokesperson for CFM, jointly owned by GE Aerospace and Safran.

“We are working with our suppliers, including our engine suppliers, to deliver on the commitments,” an Airbus spokesperson said.

According to a senior industry source, airlines hoping to alleviate lengthy wait times for engine repairs for their current aircraft may be disappointed by the deal, which is anticipated to reduce recent tensions between Airbus and CFM over engine supply.

In a statement while in Belgium, Safran CEO Olivier Andries affirmed that CFM had temporarily given Airbus priority over airlines to supply the Airbus assembly lines in time to guarantee additional aircraft deliveries in 2024.

“In a difficult ramp-up, it’s true that in recent weeks we have tended to allocate engines to Airbus, precisely to allow it to deliver as many planes as possible,” Andries said when asked about an earlier version of this article, as reported by AFP.

Meanwhile, in other news, Airbus is looking to finalise the readiness of jigs and tools on its A350 final assembly line over the next six months to handle the manufacture of the freighter variant of the twinjet type.

“Designated the A350-1000F, the freighter is sized between the -900 and -1000 passenger versions and this, along with its specific design features, has required a reconfiguration of stations on the Toulouse assembly line,” FlightGlobal reported.

Airbus expects final assembly activity to commence in 2025. The airframer’s French and German aerostructures operations, Airbus Atlantic and Airbus Aerostructures, are manufacturing the initial large sections of the cargo aircraft.

The European aviation giant is also filing associated regulatory requests, as it has sought the granting of special conditions from the US FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) regarding the carriage of up to 11 personnel in the supernumerary cabin behind the cockpit, as well as the pilots’ seats, and cockpit emergency exits.

Airbus has already confirmed orders for 55 aircraft and Etihad Airways has recently reportedly exercised options on three more. Work began in 2023 to modify eight stations on the final assembly line to handle the freighter, and Airbus says the primary changes were completed by the end of October 2024.

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The Abu Dhabi-based airline intends to increase the number of narrow- and wide-body aircraft in its fleet from about 80 to 150 over the course of the next five years. This entails adding 10 to 15 new aircraft annually.

A portion of the additional aircraft will need to be obtained from the leasing market and aircraft manufacturers, but the majority will be added through current orders for Airbus A320 and A350 family jets, along with Boeing 787.

Etihad Airways is in negotiations with lessors and aircraft manufacturers, according to CEO Antonoaldo Neves, in an effort to acquire more aircraft to complement those that will be supplied from current orders.

Speaking about delivery slots that other airlines had cancelled or rescheduled, he stated the airline was interested in purchasing new aircraft directly from manufacturers.

However, Antonoaldo Neves claimed Etihad Airways wouldn’t make a sizable order.

“I’m a big believer in fleet flexibility. I don’t like to lock in big orders,” he told Reuters in an interview at the Arabian Travel Market tourism trade exhibition in Dubai.

“I’ve learnt the best thing we can do is have an order book that is sizeable but does not define the entire future,” the official stated further.

Airline companies have placed large orders for aircraft that will not be delivered for many years, while plane makers have a massive backlog of aircraft that need attention.

On the other hand, due to problems with the supply chain, Airbus and Boeing have both had difficulty meeting delivery dates; Boeing’s production has decreased as a result of more frequent quality checks and government audits.

Boeing reorganised its leadership, following several safety-related incidents that undermined industry trust.

After visiting Boeing recently, Antonoaldo Neves stated he was impressed with the US planemaker’s initiatives for 787 delivery dates.

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The UAE’s national airlines have expanded their flights to Malaysia to keep up with the momentum of the thriving joint strategic partnership between the two countries.

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) told Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the UAE’s national carriers – Etihad Airways, Emirates and Air Arabia – are operating 112 monthly flights and 28 weekly flights, respectively, from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

The GCAA stated that Etihad Airways, Emirates and Air Arabia operate 7, 14 and 7 weekly flights respectively from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah to Kuala Lumpur.

Etihad Airways began flying to Kuala Lumpur in 2007 and has since flown 2.7 million passengers to the Malaysian capital.

In 2019, Etihad Airways signed a partnership with Tourism Malaysia to attract visitors from Europe and the Middle East to Malaysia via the airline’s Abu Dhabi hub.

Emirates began connecting Dubai (DXB) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL) in 1995. The airline offers travel services from Malaysia through its global network of over 140 destinations. Emirates announced it will increase its weekly flights to Malaysia to 21 in early June.

Air Arabia sees its flights to Malaysia as an important step in its plans to expand into the Asian aviation market and offer its customers value-added travel options to international destinations such as Kuala Lumpur. The capital is one of the world’s most popular travel destinations with a wide variety of sights and attractions.

Meanwhile, recently, Air Arabia has had a great run on the share market with its stock up by a significant 7.9% over the last month.

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Even though Sustainable Aviation Fuels are very costly at this moment, carriers worldwide are carrying out trials as they look to reduce their environmental impact.

Captain Waleed Al Alawi, acting chief executive of Gulf Air told the media, “This lower emission flight marks the beginning of our journey into our future strategy to explore the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel in our aircraft and standing by our commitment to lower our carbon emissions… We are exploring potentials and possibilities of the use of sustainable aviation fuel for a better tomorrow for the generations to come and for our planet.”

Earlier this year, Gulf Air expanded its codeshare agreement with UAE-based carrier Etihad Airways. Both parties have signed a Strategic Commercial Cooperation Agreement (SSCA) which is subject to regulatory approval.

The new agreement will allow both Etihad and Gulf Air to optimise connectivity and schedules for flights between Abu Dhabi and the Kingdom of Bahrain. It will also help develop a seamless customer experience when traveling between Abu Dhabi and the Kingdom.

The agreement was signed by Tony Douglas, group chief executive officer at Etihad Aviation Group, and Captain Waleed AlAlawi, Gulf Air’s Acting chief executive officer.

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Etihad said that it will fly its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to Beijing and it will have business and economy cabins. Earlier, Etihad resumed operations to Shanghai, after grounding its flights for three months earlier this year.

Martin Drew, senior vice president for sales and cargo of Etihad Aviation Group, told the media, “China continues to be a strategically important market for Etihad and resuming an additional passenger route connecting China with Abu Dhabi is a welcome development. Being granted the rights to operate the second weekly flight by the Chinese government was a huge recognition of the unrelenting joint efforts by the airline, testing institutions in the UAE, and the authorities in both countries, in the battle against Covid-19.

“Etihad is tremendously grateful for the support of the authorities, its customers and partners, and its employees in these most challenging of times, and Etihad stands ready to fly more frequently to China when possible.”

The carrier recorded losses of around $758 million during the first six months of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic. It carried around 3.5 million passengers during the first half of this year compared to 8.2 million a year ago.

Last month, Etihad Airways, partnered with Verteil Technologies, a New Distribution Capability (NDC) aggregation partner, as it continues its NDC strategy launched earlier this year. Through the partnership, Etihad will aim to expand its global NDC distribution with a particular focus on India.

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Paul Kear, senior vice president technical at Etihad Airways told the media, “Etihad Airways is proud to have partnered with the GCAA to be the first airline in the UAE to use electronic technical logs in airline’s fleet. This initiative supports Etihad’s innovation and sustainability goals, which are core values for the airline, Abu Dhabi, and the UAE. The digitalisation of Etihad’s technical logs will go a long way towards enhancing the operational efficiency and airworthiness of its fleet and this is a monumental step forward for aviation in the UAE.”

The implementation of eTech logs will help Etihad provide real-time data capture that can be shared with multiple stakeholders, from the air to the ground. It will also help the carrier increase operational efficiency and at the same time reduce delays and save costs.

HE Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of the GCAA told the media, “The GCAA have approved Etihad to implement electronic technical logs for their Boeing 777 freighters. This is a historic achievement not just for Etihad but for the aviation industry in the UAE. This initiative supports the GCAA’s vision for paperless operations and we thank Etihad Airways for their pioneering efforts.”

Etihad Airways recorded losses of around $758 million during the first six months of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic. It carried around 3.5 million passengers during the first half of this year compared to 8.2 percent a year ago.

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Etihad Airways carried around 3.5 million passengers during the first half of this year compared to 8.2 percent a year ago.

Last month, Etihad Airways announced a codeshare agreement with Abu Dhabi’s first low-cost airline, Air Arabia A

The new agreement will allow its customers to book Etihad flights in conjunction with Air Arabia Abu Dhabi services, connecting its global route network beyond the UAE capital to new airline’s routes.

According to reports in the media, Etihad plans to add further codeshare destinations to the partnership.

Last month, the UAE-based national carrier also resumed its services to Shanghai.

the airline announced in a statement, “The service will operate with an initial weekly flight using a Boeing 777-300ER, featuring Business and Economy cabins.”

Etihad Airways is expected to be flying to 58 destinations worldwide this month at least on the back of easing travel restrictions, media reports said. However, this will be subject to international regulations. The carrier announced that it will build back its network covering destinations where the lockdowns have been lifted.

This means Etihad Airways will see 45 percent of its original capacity prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The carrier told the media, “Throughout July and August, subject to the lifting of international restrictions and the reopening of individual markets, the airline plans to fly to 58 destinations worldwide from its Abu Dhabi hub.”

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This means Etihad Airways will see 45 percent of its original capacity prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The carrier told the media, “Throughout July and August, subject to the lifting of international restrictions and the reopening of individual markets, the airline plans to fly to 58 destinations worldwide from its Abu Dhabi hub.”

The routes includes major gateways in the Middle East, North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, particularly Riyadh, Bahrain, Mumbai, Manila, Delhi, Hyderabad, Lahore, Chicago, New York JFK. Washington DC, Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Pari and Zurich among others.

Tony Douglas, group chief executive officer of Etihad Aviation Group, told the media, “The easing of restrictions on travel to and from the UAE is an important first step and a great development for Abu Dhabi. By August, we aim to operate approximately 45 percent of our pre-covid capacity. The priority is now to build the network back up on markets that have opened up, and to provide a secure and hygienic flying environment across the entire guest journey.”

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It is reported that Etihad Holidays will be sold mainly through the website. The distance time from Heathrow airport to Abu Dhabi is only seven hours. The new partnership will enable Dnata to gain a competitive advantage and develop an extensive portfolio of brands.

Hareb Al Muhairy, senior vice president destination and leisure management, Etihad Airways, told the media, “We look forward to welcoming travellers to our home Abu Dhabi, when the world is ready to travel again. Our new partner dnata Travel Group will act as the essential link between Etihad Holidays and the consumer, while providing full support of our marketing and distribution activities in the UK. Abu Dhabi is just around seven hours of flight time from London Heathrow and Manchester airports and we look forward to working together to showcase the world-class cultural highlights and incredible leisure and entertainment facilities that the city has to offer.”

Etihad Airways is stepping up efforts to increase special flight operations as countries are easing their respective lockdowns. The airline has added flights to Europe, Australia and Canada. It is expected to introduce more services to Sydney with a direct transit connection to and from London through Abu Dhabi, media reports said.

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