ETIHAD AIRWAYS APPOINTS NEW GENERAL MANAGER FOR KENYA OPERATION

As part of its growing commitment to the African market, Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates has appointed Joan Mwanki as its new General Manager based in Nairobi, Kenya.

With a strong track record of working in a commercial aviation environment, Joan’s key responsibilities will be to increase awareness of the Etihad Airways brand and develop and further grow the relationships with the key travel trade and corporate customers across East Africa.

Prior to joining Etihad Airways, Joan held key positions with codeshare partner, Kenya Airways, where she spent seven years developing an in-depth understanding of the business and leisure travel markets on the carrier’s African network, including Mozambique, Zimbabwe and most  recently in Tanzania, covering mainland Tanzania and the island of Zanzibar.

Danny Barranger, Etihad Airways’ Vice President - Global Sales, said: “Joan’s experience and extensive contacts within the East and Southern African travel industry will be invaluable as she continues to strengthen our presence in this market. I am confident that she will make a significant contribution in serving the growing numbers of guests travelling from across the region, through Nairobi to the UAE and beyond.”

Etihad Airways launched its daily service from Abu Dhabi to Nairobi in April 2012 and currently operates a two-class A320 aircraft on this route, configured to carry 16 passengers in Pearl Business and 120 passengers in Coral Economy class.

About Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, began operations in 2003, and in 2012 carried 10.3 million passengers. From its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihad Airways offers flights to 97 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas, with a fleet of 87 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and over 220 aircraft on firm order, including 71 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 25 Boeing 777-X, 62 Airbus A350s, and 10 Airbus A380s, the world’s largest passenger aircraft. Etihad Airways holds equity investments in airberlin, Air Seychelles, Virgin Australia, Aer Lingus and Jet Airways.  Subject to regulatory approval, Etihad Airways will launch a new airline brand in Q1 2014, Etihad Regional, after taking a 33.3 per cent stake in Swiss carrier Darwin Airline. The airline will also acquire 49 per cent of Air Serbia from January 2014.  For more information, please visit: www.etihad.com