The first Etihad Airways flight to Boston touched down on Sunday as the national carrier began a new route serving its fourth US city.
Known for its history, culture, and home to some of the world’s best universities, Boston is the gateway to New England and the Massachusetts state capital.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner departed from Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi just after 3am on Sunday morning.
“It’s a great honour to be the first Etihad pilot to fly into Boston,” Emirati Captain Majed Al Marzouqi told The National from the flight deck during the 13-and-a-half-hour journey. “I am proud to play a pivotal role in this historic flight.”
Alongside him was First Officer Khalid Al Naqbi. Having never visited Boston before, he is one of the few people who can say that the first time they visited, they flew themselves there.
Etihad also flies to New York, Chicago and Washington. “We would always fly from JFK in New York over Boston and I always looked down and thought: 'I have to be there', and now here we are,” he said.
'Some people go fishing, I go flying'
Soaring under a blue sky and above marshmallow-like clouds, the view from the cockpit was something special, making it easy to see why the pilots enjoy their job. “Some people go fishing for fun, I go flying,” said Al Marzouqi.
The route from Abu Dhabi to Boston covers more than 10,000km of airspace over places including Iraq, Turkey, Poland, Germany, Greenland, Canada and the north-eastern coast of the US.
A knock at the cockpit door signalled that it was time for a shift change and the two Emirati captains headed out of the flight deck to rest, leaving the Dreamliner in the capable hands of relief pilots Captain Michael Hoong and First Officer Nikhil Singhania.
Meticulous planning has gone into the new route, and Captain Al Marzouqi – who returned to the cockpit just before landing – wasn't fazed by touching down in a new destination.
The UAE investment is about $25 billion into the US economy, and a lot of that is to companies in Boston
Arik De,
chief revenue and commercial officer, Etihad Airways
“Boston is at sea level with no significant risk from terrain. We just need to be a bit more conservative since it's our first time, but we will enjoy the approach and the landing,” Al Marzouqi said.
Passengers received celebratory redbrick-themed finjans - Arabian coffee cups without a handle - represent the ties between Abu Dhabi and its newest destination, which is known for its claret brick architecture.
All 28 business class suites on the jet were occupied. Premium passengers also enjoyed Armani / Casa bedding from Etihad’s partnership with the Italian fashion house, and Espa toiletries.
A Boston-themed menu was also on offer with dishes such as lobster rolls, Boston lettuce salad and vegetable chowder.
Daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Boston coming soon
For now, Etihad's flights to Logan International Airport will operate from the UAE capital on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. That schedule will soon increase according to Arik De, chief revenue and commercial officer for Etihad Airways.
“It’s currently four times a week, but it will go to daily very soon,” he told The National on board the inaugural flight.
Etihad’s preclearance for US flights is not currently available on Boston services, but that’s also something that is going to change in the near future. “The preclearance facilities go live in July, so from July all US flights are going to be pre-cleared and it will be a fantastic facility,” said De.
With a full load on the inaugural flight, Beantown, as Boston is often called, looks set to be one of Etihad’s most popular destinations, something that De doesn’t seem surprised by.
“There are significant ties between the UAE and Boston. The UAE has more than 1,000 alumni in the last three years, some 200 students are studying there now. And there is a lot of investment – the UAE investment is about $25 billion into the US economy, and a lot of that is to tech companies and healthcare companies in Boston,” said De.
The city is also a good connecting point for travellers looking to fly elsewhere in the US, as it’s the home hub of JetBlue, one of Etihad’s partners, which offers flights to nearly 100 destinations in the US.
Boston celebrates 'the best of America'
Incredibly rich in history and culture, Boston has plenty to offer visitors. “Catching a baseball game at Fenway is one of the things I definitely recommend doing – there’s something really cool about that,” said De, who lived in the city for five years.
“I think in many ways Boston celebrates the best of America. It’s warm and welcoming, and has a lot of immigrant stories, whether it's Irish immigration, Scottish or Italian.
“That continues today with the universities, where people from different parts of the world come in and get this amazing education. And that story ties in very much with the UAE's story; all of us here are from different parts of the world, coming here for a common journey.”
He added: “It’s also one of the few cities in the US that has an American feel, but then it has a very old-world charm, and you don’t get a lot of that in North America.”
And for travellers hoping to make the most of a visit by beating jet-lag, Captain Al Marzouqi said the scheduled flights on the new route work very well.
“The timing is perfect, you’ll be leaving Abu Dhabi after midnight, so you can enjoy the Etihad experience and get some sleep, and we’ll touch down in Boston in the morning, so you can start your day right away.”
Etihad to fly to Bali, Jaipur and Nairobi
In addition to the Boston launch, Etihad has announced new routes to Nairobi, Jaipur, Antalya and Bali. The airline is also launching seasonal services to Mykonos, Nice, Malaga and Santorini, all of which will start just in time for the peak summer travel period.
“By the end of the year, our network is going to be bigger than it was before 2019. By January 2030, we will fly to 150 destinations, adding about 10 destinations per year,” revealed De.
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%203-litre%20V6%20turbo%20(standard%20model%2C%20E-hybrid)%3B%204-litre%20V8%20biturbo%20(S)%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20350hp%20(standard)%3B%20463hp%20(E-hybrid)%3B%20467hp%20(S)%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20500Nm%20(standard)%3B%20650Nm%20(E-hybrid)%3B%20600Nm%20(S)%0D%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh368%2C500%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- Margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars
- Energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- Infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes
- Many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Klopp at the Kop
Matches 68; Wins 35; Draws 19; Losses 14; Goals For 133; Goals Against 82
- Eighth place in Premier League in 2015/16
- Runners-up in Europa League in 2016
- Runners-up in League Cup in 2016
- Fourth place in Premier League in 2016/17
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
