Amidst a host of firsts for the aviation industry, the COVID-19 outbreak has seen Etihad Airways operate the first direct commercial flight from the UAE to Israel. A twin-jet Boeing 787-9 departed Abu Dhabi on 19 May bound for Tel Aviv, carrying humanitarian aid and medical supplies destined for Palestinian communities in the West Bank
A joint venture between Dubai-based Etihad Airways and Doha-based Air Arabia has been awarded an Air Operating Certificate (AOC) by UAE authorities.
Etihad has been providing 15,000 meals a day to people self-isolating, under quarantine or involved in frontline medical treatment for coronavirus.
United Airlines has reported a $2.1 billion loss for the first quarter of 2020 due to the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic, its biggest drop since the global recession of 2008.
Etihad Airways is testing a number of automated medical scanners in partnership with Australian company Elenium.
In a UAE first, Etihad Airways has committed to increasing its female workforce by 25 percent over the next five years. The move follows the IATA's "25by2025" campaign, a push to make the airline industry more gender-balanced.
