“Battle-Scarred“ Etihad Hit By 99% Fall In Passenger Numbers During Covid Crisis

“Battle-Scarred“ Etihad Hit By 99% Fall In Passenger Numbers During Covid Crisis

An Etihad Airways Airbus A380 coming in to land at London's Heathrow International Airport in ... [+] England, UK. (Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)



NurPhoto via Getty Images

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways saw passenger numbers fall by 99% at the worst point in the coronavirus crisis, as most of its planes were grounded and almost all flights in and out of the UAE were suspended.

After several years of cost-cutting and restructuring to try and make the airline profitable, Eithad saw losses increase during the first half of the year by 29% and revenues drop 38%.

Etihad is the first of the big three Gulf carriers to release information about its performance during the pandemic. Emirates and Qatar Airways have yet to say