Etihad to expand China flights

With high expectations for China's long-term growth, Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has unveiled plans to increase its passenger services to China to 35 flights per week by the end of March, up from the current seven flights per week, making China its fastest growing market in 2027.

The airline is further expected to double capacity in China in the coming five to seven years, which would make the country the group's top three market in terms of revenue, said the top executive of the Abu Dhabi-based carrier.

"We have very big expectations. Our vision is to have at least two flights a day per destination in China together with China Eastern," said Antonoaldo Neves, chief executive officer of Etihad Aviation Group, during an exclusive interview with China Daily.

"I don't see any reason why our capacity of 35 weekly flights, together with China Eastern, can't double over the next five to seven years. We're really excited about the opportunities in the Chinese market," said Neves, adding that the group's growth in China is strengthened by its two partners, China Eastern Airlines and SF Airlines.

"We're currently flying only to Beijing, but we'll soon add services to Shanghai as well as to Shenzhen and Guangzhou (Guangdong province), Hangzhou (Zhejiang province) and Chengdu (Sichuan province). Expanding our passenger network will also increase the belly cargo capacity," he said.

According to the CEO, the carrier transports 2,600 metric tons of cargo every single week from the Chinese mainland to Abu Dhabi, with about 40 percent of that cargo being exports from China to Abu Dhabi, and 60 percent going beyond Abu Dhabi.

Although China currently accounts for only two of Etihad's roughly 300 daily flights, the planned capacity expansion is expected to make it one of the airline's three fastest-growing markets.

"In terms of both cargo and passenger revenue, China will become one of our five largest markets next year, and it won't take long before it ranks among our top three," said Neves.

The decision to launch the new services was driven by several factors, including growing tourism between China and Abu Dhabi, rising demand for both passenger and cargo transport, and the need to strengthen the carrier's partnerships through additional capacity.

"I truly believe that the world is getting more connected. Aviation grows two times the GDP in markets like China, like the UAE. So if GDP in China is growing 5 percent, aviation is going to grow 10 percent. If GDP in the UAE is growing 5 percent, it's going to grow 10 percent," he added.

According to the CEO, robust demand continues to underpin the aviation industry's growth, with Etihad's passenger capacity now 20 percent higher than a year ago. He said the biggest challenge facing airlines was the limited availability of new aircraft, as delivery lead times have stretched to three or four years. Even so, he said the long-term trend remained firmly positive.

The executive said he remained strongly bullish on the country's long-term prospects. He pointed to China's advances in information technology, artificial intelligence, the digital economy, robotics, automation, electric vehicles and renewable energy as evidence that the country's growth still has significant room to run.

wang_ying@chinadaily.com.cn