Etihad Airways is aiming to repeat the success story of neighbor Emirates Airlines and become a major player in international long-haul air travel, despite the absence of a sizable home market. Last month at the Farnborough air show, the new carrier surprised the industry with a $7-billion order for four Air-bus A380-800s, four A340-500s, four A340-600s and 12 A330-200s to form the backbone of its fleet (AW&ST July 26, p. 26). Etihad will be among early operators of the A380, behind Singapore Airlines and rival Emirates. The order is part of an ambitious plan to boost its fleet to around 50 aircraft by the end of the decade, making Etihad the second biggest carrier in the region, behind Emirates and ahead of Gulf Air, Oman Air and Qatar Airways.
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