Etihad Airways offers pilots secondment to fly A380, 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 program, part of Etihad Airways strategy for international expansion, is further evidence 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.
The program began in April 2013 when the first batch of seven airberlin Boeing 737-rated First Officers arrived in Abu Dhabi to start type conversion training on the Boeing 777 at Etihad Airways’ state-of-the-art Flight Training Centre.
To date, there are almost 200 partner airline pilots 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.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ president and CEO, 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 programs, aligning our staff expertise, and developing rewarding careers.”
To date, 21 former airberlin pilots have transferred to permanent roles with Etihad Airways, flying Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A380 aircraft.
First Officer Julian Kirrinnis, seconded to Etihad Airways from airberlin in September 2013, said: “Etihad Airways offered me all the necessary training to join the A330 fleet and now the A380.”
First Officer Tim Oschmann, who was seconded to Etihad Airways from airberlin in January 2014, said: “Working for Etihad Airways is a rewarding experience.”
Etihad Airways’ Chief Operations Officer Richard Hill said: “Safety and quality are paramount to the continuing success of our Etihad Aviation Group and through initiatives such as pilot secondments, we are able to promote a just culture.”