Etihad Airways appoints new General Manager for the United States

NEW YORK, NY – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), today announced the appointment of Craig Thomas as General Manager for the United States.

NEW YORK, NY – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), today announced the appointment of Craig Thomas as General Manager for the United States.

Mr. Thomas, the first General Manager for the United States in the airlineโ€™s history, will be based in New York where he will be responsible for all commercial activity for Etihad Airways, as well as further growing the airlineโ€™s relationships with trade and corporate partners with immediate effect. Mr. Thomas will report to Martin Drew, Senior Vice President of The Americas for Etihad Airways.

Mr. Drew said the following of Mr. Thomasโ€™ appointment: โ€œWith the arrival of Etihad Airwaysโ€™ flying reimagined A380 service, the opening of our new First and Business Class Lounge at New Yorkโ€™s John F. Kennedy Airport and strong demand for our services, 2015 has been a phenomenal year for our U.S. operations. Craigโ€™s extensive experience with Etihad Airways has given him a widespread global knowledge of commercial management and he will play a critical role in ensuring the continued growth and success of our world-class offerings in the United States.โ€

Mr. Thomas most recently served as Etihad Airwaysโ€™ General Manager for Canada, based in Toronto. Previously, he served as Regional General Manager – Asia Pacific North and the Indian Subcontinent, and was based in Bangkok. He joined Etihad Airways in 2005 as the Sales and Marketing Manager – Southern Africa and later served as the airlineโ€™s General Manager โ€“ Thailand and State Manager of Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. Prior to joining Etihad Airways, Mr. Thomas held various management roles in airport operations at Virgin Atlantic and served as Corporate Travel Manager at De Beers.

Mr. Thomasโ€™ new position will help the airline continue to grow its commercial partnerships and deliver the highest standards of service excellence to its guests as the company continues to deepen its foot print in the U.S.

โ€œI am excited to take on this new role and continue my service with Etihad Airways in one of the airlineโ€™s most dynamic and successful markets,โ€ said Mr. Thomas. โ€œI look forward to working with the team to find new and innovative ways of expanding and strengthening our strategic corporate and trade partnerships, strengthening our commercial ties and providing the world-class service, comfort, and hospitality that our airline has become known for and our valued guests have come to rely upon.โ€

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Linda Hohnholz

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