I like Etihad. The best airline. I travelled in it only twice. Absolutely amazing. Economy was as good as business and 1st was out of this world. And now this. Superb. The carrier, which partners with Virgin Australia, also has refused to transport any Israelis, who aren’t allowed in the UAE. In 2010, it even began teaching its flight agents how to identify Israeli travellers by their “accents and traits,” the BBC reported. Justin Ross Lee, a Jewish travel expert from New York, fumed that he wouldn’t support an airline that discriminates. “As a frequent flyer who holds both US and Israeli passports, I would sooner donate my miles to Hezbollah than travel on Etihad Airways,” said Mr Lee, 30, referring to the terror group. “I’d probably be interrogated less.” For all the controversy, the airline wasn’t showing any signs of weakness. Etihad on Monday posted a 48 per cent increase in its annual net profit, reaching $US62 million ($69.5 million), as revenues surged 27 per cent to $US6.1 billion. “This marked the third successive year of net profitability, in the airline’s tenth year of operation,” said the carrier in a statement. Etihad is expanding rapidly and has bought minor shares in several smaller carriers around the world as it competes with larger Gulf rivals Emirates and Qatar Airways. It owns 19.9 per cent of Virgin Australia, 29 per cent of Air Berlin, 40 per cent of Air Seychelles and three per cent of Aer Lingus. It also owns a 24 per cent stake in India’s Jet Airways, and 33.3 per cent in the Swiss carrier Etihad Regional.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 05:54:05 +0000
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