Etihad strives to spread its wings further in India

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways is looking to expand its operations in India as the airline continues on its growth plan aiming to reach 100 destinations by 2020 from its current 65, the company's chief executive said yesterday.
Etihad CEO James Hogan said his company is using a variety of methods to reach a broader segment of the Indian market to help fuel future growth including traditional and online social media.
"This is the first time we've had a major advertising campaign in India," Hogan said on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Media Summit. "It's a market where we see very strong potential."
Etihad already serves eight destinations in India, the most of any country, including two cargo routes.
Last year, the company launched an aggressive media campaign targeted at the Indian travellers residing in India and abroad. The campaign included a partnership with the matrimonial website Shaadi.com, linking users to Etihad's booking portal based on their travel plans.
Unlike its older regional competitors, the 6 year-old Etihad has had the benefit of starting from scratch, which has helped it survive the economic recession.
"We're a non-legacy carrier, so we had a clean sheet of paper to build a world-class airline," Hogan said. "Building a brand is fundamental to our longevity. You can see that, through the crisis, we continue to spend."
12/03/10 Gulf News, UAE

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Categories: Foreign Mar 2010