Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has joined forces with Boeing in an industry-leading strategic partnership centred on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and focused on innovation, cost efficiency and minimising the impact of aviation on the environment.
- Companies to share knowledge, experience and resources
- Commercial, technical agreements of approximately AED800m/US$215
m
- Themed 787 to reinforce Etihad-Boeing partnership and
the environment
The Abu Dhabi-based airline, which received its first 787 in
December 2014, now operates 36 Dreamliners – the largest number in the Middle
East - which comprise more than one third of its total fleet and will reach 50
per cent by 2023.
Today, at the 2019 Dubai International Air Show, Tony Douglas, the
Group Chief Executive of Etihad Aviation Group, and Stanley Deal, Executive
Vice President of The Boeing Company, and President and CEO of Boeing
Commercial Airplanes, signed a comprehensive agreement through which the
companies will share knowledge, experience and resources to continuously
improve the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and reduce aircraft carbon emissions, a
major challenge across many industries today.
Etihad and Boeing also jointly unveiled a special ‘Greenliner’
livery for one of the airline’s 787 Dreamliner aircraft to highlight their
shared commitment to more sustainable aviation, and to test new products,
procedures and initiatives designed to reduce fuel consumption.
The
partnership will be underpinned by commercial and technical agreements valued
at approximately AED 800 million ($US 215 million) encompassing a broad range
of services including a landing gear overhaul program, high value airframe
components, and maintenance planning optimisation tools.
Mr
Douglas said: “Innovation, productivity and sustainability are core values and
objectives of Etihad Airways, and of Abu Dhabi, and the Boeing 787 is a key
enabler of all three. Etihad and Boeing see great opportunities to share our
combined knowledge of this incredible aircraft, and to work with other aviation
stakeholders to explore opportunities for more innovation and less
environmental impact.”
Mr Deal said: “The 787 Dreamliner and its revolutionary design
have enabled carriers such as Etihad Airways to significantly reduce fuel use
and emissions. It is the perfect platform for advancing our industry’s
commitment to sustainable growth. We look forward to continuing our
collaboration with Etihad Airways and identifying more ways to improve
efficiency across commercial aviation.”
The companies commit to build upon the significant technical
capabilities which Etihad has developed to support both its own 787
Dreamliners, and those of a growing number of other operators, as well as engineer
exchanges with a focus on further developing the skills and experience of UAE
nationals.
Activities under discussion include training for pilots, cabin
crew and maintenance technicians, secondment of pilots between Etihad, Boeing,
and other operators, and development in Abu Dhabi of Maintenance and Repair
Organisation capabilities for the type.
Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer of Etihad
Airways, said the Etihad-Boeing agreement demonstrated a level of collaboration
rarely seen in the airline industry, to deliver value not only to these
companies, but also to other 787 Dreamliner operators and the broader industry.
“These
agreements complement our wider partnership and support future collaboration
between Etihad and Boeing on supply chain management and both line and
predictive maintenance, further reinforcing the airline’s commitment to
reliability,” he said.
”They also strengthen Abu Dhabi’s credentials as a global
innovation hub, a key pillar of the Emirate’s 2030 economic and social vision. As a next step, Etihad and Boeing will
explore partnerships with universities in both Abu Dhabi and Seattle, home to
Boeing’s largest assembly facilities, to further increase capabilities which
support development of the aerospace sector in Abu Dhabi, and elsewhere in the
UAE.