Etihad offers pilots on secondment opportunity to fly A380 and B787 aircraft

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is offering pilots seconded from partner airlines the opportunity to transfer to permanent contracts, flying the carrier's most advanced Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

The pilot secondment programme, says the company, is a part of Etihad Airways' strategy for international expansion and proves that the synergies delivered through the airline's equity and non-equity partnerships also benefit the professional career paths of the partners' highly trained pilots.

Since the programme was first introduced in April 2013, almost 200 partner airline pilots have seconded to Etihad Airways. This includes 52 pilots from airberlin, 41 from Alitalia, 63 from Jet Airways, 25 from City Liner, four from Darwin Airline and six from NIKI, which have all been handpicked for their flying experience and skills.

With Etihad Airways rapid growth and fleet expansion, pilots on secondment enjoy a much accelerated career progression path compared to other airlines. They also have the opportunity to transfer permanently to a longer-term aviation career with the UAE carrier which offers a much more varied career path with opportunities for cross fleet transfers from Airbus to Boeing and narrow-body to wide-body aircraft, as well as progression to a wide range of roles like flight instructors, examiners, flight crew assessors and pilot management positions.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways' President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Time after time, we prove that our partnership strategy is truly a winning business model. Together with our partners, we are sharing resources, incorporating our fleet programmes, aligning our staff expertise, and developing rewarding careers.

"Our pilot secondment programme is such an exciting and unique opportunity for pilots across our group of partner airlines, many of whom have a wealth of experience and are passionate about flying. We are able to put our pilots at the forefront of modern aviation and look forward to welcoming many more to join our family."

Etihad Airways added that it will continue to enhance and expand its pilot secondment programme, welcoming more pilots from partner airlines in 2015 and beyond.