James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, hosted more than 350 representatives from government, travel industry and media.
Hometown girl, international superstar and Etihad brand ambassador Dannii Minogue added a touch of celebrity and glamour to the event.
Etihad co-hosted an event with alliance partner Virgin Blue at the world-famous Sydney Opera House for 300 VIP guests, including the UAE Ambassador to Australia Ali Nasser Al Nuaimi and the Australian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Doug Trappett, to mark the commencement of V Australia flights to Abu Dhabi.
The flight, operated by a V Australia Boeing 777 aircraft, will mark the first time since 1991 that an Australian airline has operated services to the Middle East in its own right.
V Australia will fly three times weekly between Sydney and Abu Dhabi, bringing to 24 the total number of flights operated by the two airlines between Australia and Abu Dhabi.
“The week long program of events in Australia highlights the importance of the Australian market to our business and our deep commitment to it. Tomorrow’s joint service from Sydney to Abu Dhabi with Virgin Blue’s international arm V Australia marks the beginning of an exciting new era of cooperation for Etihad and Virgin Blue and opens up a new world of choice for travelers on our combined global network of more than 100 destinations,” said James Hogan, Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer.