15 years of Etihad Airways: milestones in the growth of an airline

More than 139 million passengers have taken to the skies with an extraordinary airline launched in the UAE capital on November 5, 2003

Emirati officials pose in front of the new carrier "Etihad", or "Unity", at a ceremonial flight in Al Ain on 3 November 2003. The airline launched commercial operations with a direct service to Beirut. AFP

Rosemary Behan

Nov 5, 2018

Since launching commercial operations with a direct route to Beirut, Etihad Airways now flies to a total of 84 destinations with a fleet of 110 aircraft. Since its launch in November 2003, the airline has carried a total of over 139 million passengers on almost almost a million flights. Etihad's fleet now includes 10 A380s and 20 787s, and the average age of its aircraft is 6.1 years. The airline has 22,594 employees, of 152 nationalities.

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