Interview: Etihad CEO on Disrupting Alliances and the Passenger Experience
Photo Credit: Etihad CEO James Hogan says the airline's investments in Alitalia and Air Berlin give it 'skin in the game' and a competitive advantage over slow-moving global alliances. Etihad
Skift Take
And at this juncture, Etihad CEO James Hogan says it's all "good." He's giving airline alliances grief, making strides in honing the passenger experience and obviously enjoying the gig despite the hassles of facing off against the bullying of some of the largest airlines in the world.
James Hogan, the CEO of Etihad Airways, sees his airline as a disruptor -- and this has nothing to do with the Open Skies controversy.
With minority stakes in Alitalia, Air Berlin, Air Serbia, Virgin Australia, and others, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates has shunned the Big Three airline alliances in favor of these more nimble partnerships and is creating efficiencies while other airlines "duplicate their overhead," Hogan told Skift.
These partnerships have turned Etihad Airways into the fifth largest airline group, Hogan says, and crew training, wide-body work, and back office operations for several of the carriers are under way in Abu Dhabi.
On the passenger experience front, Hogan argues that Etihad's new Residence Suites, replete with living room, bathroom with shower, and bedroom, on its A380s are disruptive and a design breakthrough.
Meanwhile, on the Open Skies issue, Hogan acknowledges that fighting the three U.S. carriers' "protectionist" approach
