[Kurt A]

Melbourne, Perth on Etihad radar
But expansion will initially focus on Sydney and Brisbane

Melbourne or Perth is next on Etihad Airways radar, but not for at least 12 months, its chief executive has revealed. James Hogan, in Sydney to announce an expanded frequency from the city, said it may even be up two years before it adds a new Australian gateway.

Early details of its plans emerged yesterday as the carrier confirmed it will add four weekly services between Sydney and Abu Dhabi from October 31, taking the numberof weekly services from New South Wales to 11. It also operates three weekly flights from Brisbane.

Hogan said it would initially increase to double daily from Sydney and daily from Brisbane, a move that would give Etihad 21 of its 28 available frequencies from Australia.

“That’s our first objective,” Hogan said. “But we believe we can service one more Australian city.”

When pushed further, he said: “We’d be looking at Victoria or Western Australia, in the next 12 to 24 months.” Hogan said it “couldn’t have predicted the level of success” of its Australian flights, which launched in March 2007, with load factors from Sydney of 88 per cent and 71 from Brisbane.

He added that the Gulf was taking business from the traditional Asia hubs, with Etihad able to fly passengers around the world from Abu Dhabi. Hogan said its catchment area had a combined population similar to China. The huge development of Abu Dhabi, and the increasing numbers of Australian companies in the region, was driving business while more and more travellers are hubbing in the region en route to Europe.

Additional capacity between the Gulf and Australia will see New South Wales attract more than 80,000 travellers from the region over the next few years, tourism minister Matt Brown has said.
He forecast that the state will welcome 83,000 arrivals from the Gulf countries by 2016, up from the 24,000 in 2007.

-travelweekly