Following the debut of the airline’s brand-new A350 aircraft, Etihad Airways, the official carrier of the United Arab Emirates, has boosted flights from New York’s JFK International Airport and strengthened its relationship with JetBlue.
In order to commemorate the airline’s most recent accomplishment and its ongoing dedication to the US market and its North American partners, Etihad invited friends and partners to an event last night in New York.
A number of significant personalities from the Abu Dhabi tourism industry joined the delegation, including Francois Bourienne, Chief Commercial Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, Husain Al Hashmi, Regional Manager at the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, and Mohammed Al Zaabi, Chief Executive Officer of Miral Asset Management. Other leaders from the hotel and tourism industries joined them, which strengthened the ties between the UAE and the US.
At the gala event in New York last night, Tony Douglas, Etihad Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, commented, “The US remains one of our leading markets and that is why New York and Chicago were amongst the first destinations to be serviced by Etihad’s new A350. We are proud to continue to offer our guests a premier travel experience and enhanced connectivity through our growing partnership with JetBlue.”
Executives from JetBlue Airways, New York’s hometown airline and a longtime codeshare partner of Etihad, were also there. Since 2014, Etihad and JetBlue have collaborated on codeshare flights to 46 locations around the Americas. With Washington, D.C. following soon, JetBlue has recently started code sharing on Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to Chicago and New York. As Etihad is ready to extend its flights to JFK International Airport in More York in November, the partners intend to add new locations, providing travelers with seamless access to new gateways.
Along with expanding connection through the codeshare arrangement, Etihad and JetBlue are also establishing a frequent flyer arrangement that will let members of both programs—TrueBlue frequent flyers and Etihad Guest—earn and use miles on both networks.
In June, it was announced that Etihad would be one of the first airlines and the first Middle Eastern carrier to be offered a permanent presence at JFK’s New Terminal One, with the airline’s leadership attending the groundbreaking ceremony on September 8. This was in addition to the introduction of the A350, increased services to JFK, and expanded partnership with JetBlue.
The only United States Customs and Border Protection facility in the Middle East, Etihad’s US pre-clearance facility is available to travellers flying to the US. By processing all immigration, customs, and agriculture inspections in Abu Dhabi prior to boarding their aircraft, travellers traveling to the US may bypass immigration and lines upon arrival in the US.