Bangkok--25 Feb--Total Quality PR Etihad Airways, The National Airline of the United Arab Emirates, which operates highly popular twice daily flights from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi and onwards to 45 destinations around the globe, is playing a crucial role in driving economic growth in the UAE, according to a major study published recently by a leading UK think tank, with the airline’s expansion set to support the creation of more than 100,000 jobs in the next 10 years. The rapid expansion of the Abu Dhabi-based airline, which has grown to 45 destinations in just four years, is supporting and driving tourism, business and investment and helping to create thousands of jobs in the UAE’s largest emirate. The study by Oxford Economics says that Etihad is playing a vital role in driving export-orientated business, especially those linking Abu Dhabi with the fast-growing markets of the Indian sub-continent and the Far East. The Oxford Economics study was commissioned to quantify the overall economic contribution of Etihad Airways to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi today and in the future. The research examined economic contribution at four levels: direct (within Etihad), indirect (suppliers to Etihad), induced (spending of direct and indirect employees) and catalytic (impacts on other industries). According to the findings, Etihad Airways is already making a significant contribution to Abu Dhabi’s gross domestic product (GDP), despite only starting operations in November 2003. Overall, the airline contributed US$ 2,949 million (6.6 per cent) of Abu Dhabi’s non-oil GDP (2.7 per cent of total GDP) in 2007, and helped generate or support a total of 48,813 (or five per cent) of non-oil jobs throughout the Emirate. Of this total, the airline made a direct economic contribution of US$ 770 million (1.7 per cent) of Abu Dhabi’s non-oil GDP in 2007, employing 4,107 people within the emirate. Etihad made a further indirect economic contribution of US$ 364 million (0.8 per cent of GDP) and supported an additional 7,467 jobs in 2007, when taking into account the money spent by the airline through commercial interactions with a wide range of Abu Dhabi suppliers, including fuel purchases, maintenance and repairs, airport rental and landing fees, marketing and advertising, IT and communications. An additional ‘induced’ GDP contribution of US$ 373 million and 7,656 additional jobs can be attributed to money spent during 2007 by people working for Etihad Airways and its suppliers. According to the report, Etihad has also acted as a major catalyst for other industries in terms of fostering trade, tourism, inward investment, labour supply and productivity. James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said: “This study is important because, for the first time, it starts to quantify the very significant and growing contribution our airline is making to the economic growth of Abu Dhabi. “The figures are all the more impressive when you consider that Etihad has only been operating for four years. Etihad is clearly a key infrastructure asset, vital to facilitating growth in tourism and trade.” The report acknowledges the positive role that Etihad is playing in improving air links between Abu Dhabi and the rest of the rest of the global economy, concluding that the airline’s expanding network is now a key factor for many businesses in encouraging them to invest in the Emirate. Oxford Economics estimate that a 10 per cent rise in the number of connections offered by Etihad will boost long-term GDP by 1.1 per cent. In 2007, Etihad expanded its flying schedule by 29 percent and, in doing so, increased significantly access for Abu Dhabi businesses to the global marketplace. Adrian Cooper, managing director of Oxford Economics, said: "This study demonstrates the important role that Etihad is playing in supporting economic growth and investment in Abu Dhabi - a role that will only increase as the economy becomes more diversified. Etihad is making an economic contribution to Abu Dhabi that compares favourably with the impact our previous research has found for airlines in the UK, European Union and Asia." Based on the airline’s current growth projections, Etihad’s total economic contribution to Abu Dhabi’s GDP will increase by 67 per cent to US$ 4.9 billion by 2011, helping to support 84,254 jobs in the Emirate. By 2016 this GDP figure is set to increase to US$ 7.6 billion, supporting 140,565 jobs. The new report acknowledges the ambitious plans Abu Dhabi is executing to emerge as a premier global tourism destination. The next three years will see major investment in airport infrastructure in Abu Dhabi. The opening of a new, third passenger terminal later this year — dedicated exclusively to Etihad - and a new, second runway in 2009, will help increase the capacity of the airport from seven million to 20 million passengers a year by 2011. The study used data from Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi government and incorporated the results of a survey of 210 companies in Abu Dhabi, as well as in depth case study interviews with a number of key business leaders in the UAE’s largest Emirate and capital city.