Etihad to shift key office here

The carrier now has three regional offices and all are located at the headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The offices are responsible for the United States and Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East region.

The office for the Far East region, which is scheduled to move to Bangkok in September 2009, will be the first regional office outside the headquarters.

The new office will be responsible for Australia, China, Korea and India as well as other markets. Two managers, one from Australia and one from Southeast Asia, are to be assigned to Bangkok. Executives from India and China are also set to work at the new office.

Chief executive officer James Hogan said Bangkok is one of the key cities in Asia to help the airline develop a network in the long term.

"With a centre located between the Middle East and Asia and Oceania, the airline is adding Bangkok as a new stopover city. With this strategy, the airline is competing with all European airlines and Asian carriers instead of Middle East based carriers, by developing the Middle East as a hub," he said.

New projects,including 75 hotels, a museum, shopping malls and medical centres worth than US$175 billion (Bt5.6 trillion), are being developed in the UAE and they will bring huge air traffic in and out the region.