Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has played its part in the UAE national football team’s bid to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa by carrying the team and officials to its matches in North Korea and Saudi Arabia.

The special A330-200 charter plane was used to pick up the players, officials and all the kit and equipment from their training camp in Beijing on Saturday 28 March and then flew to Pyongyang in North Korea, where the team unfortunately lost 2-0.

Following the match against North Korea, the special charter then took the team to Riyadh, via Abu Dhabi, where they will face Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, 1 April.

Khaled Al Mehairbi, Etihad Airways’ vice president government and international affairs and board member of the UAE Football Federation, said: “As the UAE’s national airline Etihad is delighted to have supported the national football team in its quest to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“We wish the team the best of luck in their remaining matches and look forward to carry them again when they represent this proud footballing nation.”

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