We are proud to welcome this new facility on the day that Etihad has doubled the frequency of its service,commented Andrew Harrison, managing director at the airport.These initiatives reflect Etihad's consistent commitment to the north of England, which will enable individual travellers and local businesses to use Manchester as a convenient hub to travel throughout the world,he added.Etihad Airways already has strong links with the city of Manchester, thanks in part to its sponsorship deal with the football club Manchester City. The new service facility is expected to create jobs in the area, and the extra routes will bring extra passengers through the region’s airport.
Jeff Wilkerson, vice president for maintenance at Etihad, said that the company was committed to establishing a presence in areas it flies to.Our investment in Manchester illustrates the remarkable growth of the airline, our ambition to bring key services in-house in markets we operate to and also to recruit locally,he said.Etihad also operates 21 return flights to Abu Dhabi from London Heathrow airport every week, and last year won the award for having the best first class service in the world in a survey by Skytrax.
