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Etihad Airways - Source: ONE News
Etihad Airways chief executive James Hogan has his sights set on capturing a slice of the lucrative Australian federal government travel contract.
Hogan confirmed the six-year old airline was bidding to win some
of the $643 million or so that politicians, diplomats and public
servants spend of flights each year and talked up Etihad's
extensive route network to Australia's major trading
partners.
"We fly into more international cities than Qantas do," Hogan told
reporters at Etihad's head office in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
"From the Australian government's point of view, look at all the
points that we travel to that Australia is doing business with,
it's just one stop."
Hogan said Abu Dhabi, where half of all Etihad's passengers pass
through, was no more than three hours away from India, the Middle
East and GCC countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.
"The beauty is that we link Australia to so many places," Hogan
said.
"What we bring as a one-stop carrier to anywhere in the world is
huge convenience."
With an average fleet age of two-and-a-half-years old and a
recently revamped first class that cost $100 million, Hogan said
Etihad's had the best product flying out of Australia.
"As people try us, they get their mouths around Etihad, and they
try us and they switch," Hogan said.
Currently, Etihad Airways flies out of Sydney and Melbourne to Abu
Dhabi daily.
The airline also has three flight a week from Brisbane to the
United Arab Emirates capital, via Singapore.
Hogan, who is originally from Melbourne and has been chief
executive since 2006, said Etihad was looking to make Brisbane a
daily service and start flying out of Perth, but had no intention
of going into Adelaide or Tasmania.
"We invest considerably in Australia," Hogan said.
"Putting every day three aircraft in Australia is a big investment
and employing people locally - we just set up a Japanese call
centre in Sydney for our Japanese market.
Asked to rate Etihad's chances of winning a part of the government
contract, Hogan said: "No idea."
The outcome of the three separate tenders - one for international
travel, one for domestic travel and one for travel management
services - is expected to be known in the next three to four
weeks.
Qantas Airways Ltd holds the biggest share of government
travel.
Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd chief executive Brett Godfrey said last
week that even if Qantas retained most of its current contract, the
flying kangaroo would be providing air travel at much cheaper
prices.
"Either we win it or Qantas gets a whole lot less than what they
used to get for it," Godfrey said on February 24.
"We see that as a win-win irrespective of how it pans out quite
frankly."
