Etihad Airways plans to intensify its strategy of growing passenger numbers via tie-ups with other carriers, bucking the go-it-alone stance of Gulf rival Emirates, Chief Executive Officer James Hogan said in an interview.
The third-largest Middle Eastern airline views signing deals and taking stakes in smaller operators serving key markets as a vital complement to spending money on planes as it builds Abu Dhabi into a hub for inter-continental travel, Hogan said.
Emirates, the largest international airline, has codeshare accords with nine carriers and no foreign holdings, while Etihad has 35 partners and is spending $400 million on stakes in Air Berlin Plc (AB1) and Air Seychelles Ltd. The difference arises because Emirates and Qatar Airways Ltd., with 11 allies, are 26 and 18 years old, respectively, and have had time to grow, whereas Etihad was founded in 2003 and needs feeder traffic, Hogan said.
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