Etihad Airways Becomes Preferred Airline For Team England For 2018 Commonwealth Games

Etihad Airways, the national flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, is to fly Team England to the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline is synonymous with sport, having flown elite athletes, coaches and supporters around the globe from Manchester City’s Title Winning Squads to England Cricket’s T20 2016 runner-up team.

James Harrison, General Manager for Etihad Airways in the UK, said: “The UK market is very important to us. We operate to 13 Commonwealth countries and will have flown a record half a million Britons via Abu Dhabi and beyond in 2017. The Commonwealth Games will be hugely inspirational and we look forward to helping Team England achieve their dreams in 2018.”

Commonwealth Games England Chief Executive Paul Blanchard said: “Etihad’s support shows that there is a real appetite amongst the most prestigious companies in the country to get behind England at the Commonwealth Games. With the potential of hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham as well as the Gold Coast Games just months away, this is a really exciting time to be involved with Commonwealth Games England and our athletes.”

Etihad Airways will be transporting over 650 Team England athletes and support staff to Australia next year. Team England preparations begin in Brisbane with a holding camp from 19 March and the Games themselves get underway on the Gold Coast on 4 April 2018.