Etihad Airways is launching customisable charter and special flight services. Flights can be chartered for passengers, cargo or a combination of the two. It marks a business expansion for the UAE’s national airline.
“While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the commercial aviation industry, charter flights provide a convenient alternative to travel, providing customers with the flexibility to choose the departure time, destination and routing,” said Alex Featherstone, vice president of network planning and alliances at Etihad Airways.
This year, Etihad has flown more than 500 charters, including passenger, government and humanitarian flights. Using charter services, more than 3.8m tonnes of cargo has been transported for the government of Abu Dhabi, as part of the national aid programme.
The airline has a health and safety programme, Etihad Wellness, designed to ensure the highest standards of hygiene are maintained on charters flights at every stage of the journey. This includes specially trained wellness ambassadors, who have been introduced to provide essential travel health information and care on the ground and on every flight.
As part of the Etihad Wellness programme, global COVID-19 insurance cover is included for all passengers travelling with Etihad.
Etihad also charters flights for sports teams. The airline chartered a last-minute flight for Manchester City Football Club in 2019 to help it continue the Asia pre-season tour after a delay on its initial journey.
