Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is considered one of the world's fastest growing airlines, according to its Regional Manager Ma'an Abdul Rahim. In an interview with the UAE news agency "WAM," Abdul Rahim thanked President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for their unlimited support to Etihad Airways which has achieved a resounding success in a relatively very short time. "Within only 45 months, Etihad Airways started flights to 45 destinations in different parts of the world. We have ambitious plans to carry millions of passengers and to help enhance Abu Dhabi's image as a top tourist destination," Abdul Rahim said. Asked about the company's performance, he said that the company carried over 1.9 million passengers during the first half of 2007, compared with 900,000 during the same period of 2006, a rate of increase of 111 percent. Recently, Etihad announced three Airbus A320s will join the carrier's fleet in September and October, with a further three narrow body aircraft expected early 2008. Abdul Rahim predicted that the addition will increase the number of flights to its Gulf destinations and improve transfer times to its global network.
