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Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways continues to set new
records in 2008 with its latest passenger
figures for the first nine months showing a 35
per cent rise on the same period last year.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline carried 4.4 million
passengers across its current network of 48
destinations, compared to 3.3 million for the
same period in 2007 between January 1 and
September 30.
Seat factors in the same period averaged of 75
per cent, representing a year-on-year increase
of seven percentage points.
Etihad's services to Asia and Australia turned
in a particularly strong performance with
overall seat factors averaging 82 per cent
across the region.
Passenger loads in the economy cabin averaged 84
per cent, led by Manila (94 per cent), Jakarta
(90 per cent), Sydney (87 per cent) and Bangkok
(83 per cent).
Middle East routes, which performed well during
the first nine months of the year, included
Amman and Damascus and both achieved overall
average seat factors of 78 per cent.
The Egyptian capital of Cairo remains the
airline's most popular African route, which
achieved an overall seat factor of 80 per cent.
Average seat factors in Etihad's business cabin
rose seven percentage points to 63 per cent
during the first nine months of 2008. The best
performing business routes during the period
were Toronto (85 per cent), New York (81 per
cent) and London (79 per cent).
The nine-month performance was boosted by a
record-breaking summer period, with more than
1.6 million passengers flying onboard the Abu
Dhabi-based airline's flights during the three
months of June, July and August.
A record 20,721 passengers flew with Etihad on
Friday 1 August making it the airline's busiest
day in its near five-year history.
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