Etihad Airways Engineering, the largest commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider in the Middle East, received two prestigious honours at the Aviation Business Awards 2018 held in Dubai on Tuesday 9 October. The ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’ and ‘Engineering Innovation of the Year’ awards recognise the company’s achievements in the past 12 months, by a panel of aviation industry experts.
The Technical Sales and Customer Service team at Etihad Airways Engineering was awarded the ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’ award which recognised the multi-cultural team for playing a key role in enabling the UAE’s vision to become a global aerospace hub.
The team actively expanded the company’s global client portfolio and revenue opportunities through its strategic vision and business development efforts, increasing its reach to the global market. As a result, the team has been instrumental in attracting an exponential number of tier one airlines including flag carriers from all over the world to Abu Dhabi for aircraft maintenance across a wide range of fleets including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Abdul Khaliq Saeed, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways Engineering said: “Our entire team has worked tirelessly to deliver innovative operations and excellent service levels that exceed the expectations of our customers and these awards are a testimony to their efforts.
“Innovation and customer service are part of our DNA and we are proud to be rewarded by the industry for our commitment to excellence.”
The ‘Engineering Innovation of the Year’ award recognised the developments in next-generation inflight wi-fi connectivity that Etihad Airways Engineering is currently pioneering. The high-speed connectivity initiative has been in development for more than two years in partnership with Yahsat, the UAE based satellite operator.
The technology features a highly integrated on-board network, consisting of a dual band Ku-Ka antenna and a new generation technology broadband satellite network, and can handle up to 200 Mbps of traffic. This technology is expected to be in operation in 2019 and will provide airlines with the technological ability to offer a true broadband user experience for all passengers on board.
Etihad Airways’ Technical Training team was Highly Commended in the ‘Training Provider of the Year’ category for its state-of-the-art training facilities and extensive training programme. In addition, the technical training team runs a UAE National graduate training programme, which boasts a high number of Emirati females, and develops local talent in the field of aviation engineering.
Earlier in the year, Etihad Airways Engineering also received the prestigious UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Aeronnovation award in the ‘Improving Aviation Safety’ category for its ‘Fuel-Drain Doctor™’. The innovative new technology saves up to 80 per cent of the time required for fuel and water draining during aircraft maintenance.
Etihad Airways Engineering’s state-of-the-art facility is located in Abu Dhabi, adjacent to Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Aircraft hangars at the facility cover approximately 66,000 sq metres, including 10,000 sq metres of aircraft painting facilities and a custom-designed hangar that can accommodate up to three Airbus A380 aircraft simultaneously. The company has successfully completed maintenance projects over the years for airlines across the world.
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