Why a new airline in the Gulf?
Fabrice Ebner - Gone are the days when a single airline, Gulf Air, was divided between four countries and four hubs (Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Muscat). Today, air transport has become the preferred development route for the Emirates, particularly for Abu Dhabi, which is the largest and richest entity in the United Arab Emirates. The aim is to link this capital, which is booming economically and in terms of tourism, to the rest of the world, and to take advantage of our position as a crossroads between the West and the East.
Specifically, how do you envisage the split between connection and point-to-point?
F. E. - Ultimately, we want to attract half of our customers to Abu Dhabi as their final destination, with the other half simply passing through the hub on their way to other destinations. Of course, we are not yet in a position to achieve this objective, as many hotels in Abu Dhabi are still under development. Hospitality facilities are not growing as fast as the airline. Of course, it's quicker to buy an aircraft than it is to build a hotel... But the activities of our tour operator Etihad Holidays are already enabling us to satisfy the growing demand for tourism in the Emirate.
Two years after the inaugural flight, what does Etihad represent?
F. E. - We already connect Abu Dhabi to around twenty destinations, with a fleet of around ten aircraft, most of which are leased. By 2010, we hope to have 70 destinations in our network, served by our own fleet of fifty aircraft, including four Airbus A380s. So this is a very rapid expansion: by the end of 2006, we should be receiving a new aircraft every month and opening a new destination!
What development areas are planned?
F. E. - Let's start with the main event for the French market: the opening of the Paris-Abu Dhabi route, scheduled for April, with six weekly flights. Our development will take place on all continents, but our French customers will be particularly interested in the extension of our services in Asia: Manila and Jakarta will soon be added to Bangkok, Dehli, Bombay, Colombo and Karachi. We have our sights set on three or four other destinations in India and China. The French market is also concerned by our extended offer in the Middle East, where Muscat, Jeddah and Doha will soon complete the existing network (Cairo, Beirut, Damascus, Amman, Dammam, Riyadh).
What will be your competitive advantages, particularly for high-contribution passengers?
F. E. - For French people wishing to travel to the United Arab Emirates, the first advantage is simple: we will be the only airline to offer a non-stop service between Paris and Abu Dhabi. We will also be the only Gulf airline to offer a flatbed in our business class, which we call Pearl. More generally, guests - we don't say passengers - in all classes (Coral, Pearl or Diamond) can expect a top-of-the-range service, delivered by a multicultural staff, with new aircraft featuring all the latest equipment, particularly for in-flight entertainment.
Bio express
1964: Born in Meudon.
1984-1992: Flight simulator instructor.
1992-1994: Pays de Loire Sales Attaché for TAT European Airlines.
1994-2000: British Airways: Key Account Manager Rhône-Alpes, then Director of Commercial Affairs.
2000-2002: British Airways: Director of Sales Development and Distribution for France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
2003-2004: Consultant for airlines and GDS.
2005: Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways France.
