Etihad and Air Berlin integrate B787 orders

Etihad Airways on Tuesday said it will integrate its Boeing 787 Dreamliner programme with that of Air Berlin's, affecting 56 aircraft. The deal is aimed at saving millions of dollars for both carriers and results in more Dreamliners than are on order with any other airline, Etihad said in a statement. It added that a combined team led by Etihad Airways will oversee the integration programme under which the two airlines will share infrastructure, pool maintenance, develop joint training programmes and streamline purchasing activity for engines, rotables, avionics and inflight entertainment systems, besides working jointly on product development for the new aircraft type. With 41 Dreamliners on order (with 25 options and purchasing rights), Etihad Airways increased its stake in loss-making Air Berlin last December to 29.21 per cent, making it the single biggest shareholder in the German carrier. Etihad bought the last 10 of its 787 order shortly before firming up the Air Berlin stake deal. Purchase Air Berlin, meanwhile, has 15 787s on order with options and purchase rights on a further 15, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2015. "This programme is the first of a range of initiatives that will bring significant cost synergies and savings for both airlines. It makes both operational and commercial sense to work together on common fleet issues and we expect the synergies we achieve through this integration to result in significant efficiency benefits for both airlines," James Hogan, Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement, calling the deal an "ideal solution" to reducing costs in all areas. Etihad Airways also has on order 10 Airbus A380s among the carrier's total order of 100 aircraft. The announcement comes at a time when experts expect Boeing's 787 to be a game changer in the Middle East. Qatar Airways, meanwhile, with 60 aircraft on order, including options, will become the first Middle Eastern carrier to fly the 787 as the airline is preparing to take delivery of five 787s this year, with the first set to arrive this summer. "The 787 should be the most efficient fuel-burning airliner in any fleet until something better comes along. "It has a tremendous range for its size," says US-based aviation analyst Addison Schonland, a partner at AirInsight. Profitable "Consequently operators will be able to serve marginal routes much better and profitably. And because it is lighter than the competition the 787 will please airlines," he told Gulf News. Adds Andrew Charlton, managing director of Aviation Advocacy, said: "It is a new generation aircraft with better (meaning lower) operating costs. And it will further cement the Middle East carriers' business model of medium- to long-haul hubbing."