James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, is leading a delegation of senior executives to Manila this week to celebrate the airline’s 10th anniversary and its seventh year of service to the Philippines.

Mr Hogan will meet with local business leaders, members of the diplomatic community and industry partners. He will also host a cocktail event at The Peninsula Manila for more than 250 VIP guests including the United Arab Emirates’ Ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency MoosaAbdulwahidAlkhajah.

Mr Hogan said the anniversary celebrations in Manila reflected the growth of Etihad Airways’ business in the Philippines and its importance to the airline.

“From a modest start of four weekly A330-200 flights in 2006, Etihad Airways now operates twice daily services to Manila with a larger Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. That’s more than threefold growth in just seven years.

“Over the same period, we have carried more than 2.3 million passengers with an average seat factor of approximately 86 per cent, making the Philippines route one of the strongest performers in our network.”

Mr Hogan identified the strengthening Philippines economy – with GDP growth at 7.6 per cent in the first half of this year – as one of the key drivers of this growth.

“In addition to stimulating overseas business and leisure travel, the health of the Philippines economy is underpinning the growth we are seeing in our freight division – Etihad Cargo.

“Total trade between the UAE and the Philippines reached US$2.16 billion last year, creating significant opportunities for belly-hold cargo transportation.”

Mr Hogan’s visit to Manila coincided with a charitable program by a team of staff volunteers.

“As our business has grown in the Philippines, so has our support for the local community. Over the past week, for example, volunteers have donated blankets and clothes to Filipinos who lost their homes and livelihoods in the recent typhoon.

“This is on top of a program whereby we donate ring-pulls from cans which are made into goods that are then sold to support the Philippine Christian Foundation’s work with disadvantaged communities,” Mr Hogan said.

Etihad Airways’ twice daily flights between Manila and Abu Dhabi connect seamlessly to the airline’s global flight network. One-stop connections at the airline’s modern and efficient Abu Dhabi hub are available to many popular business and leisure destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Americas.

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