Etihad could order 100 more planes

Beijing: Etihad Airways is in talks with Airbus and Boeing Co. to order between 50 and 100 aircraft as it seeks to turn Abu Dhabi into a global travel hub. The carrier expects to receive the planes between 2013 and 2020, chief executive officer James Hogan said yesterday in Beijing. The orders will probably include A380 superjumbos, he added. Etihad, which operated 37 aircraft in 2007, expects to carry 30 per cent more passengers this year as it adds new routes and expands its fleet. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier plans to have 53 aircraft by the end of 2011, it said in a statement on Friday. It has an order backlog of 14 Airbus planes, including four A380s, according to the planemaker’s website. Source : Bloomberg