Etihad Airways, the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates, was established in July 2003 by a Royal decree issued by HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was then the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Services. Dr Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan was appointed Chairman of the airline. Since then Etihad has grown at an impressive pace, adding almost one new route a month. In June 2006, Etihad achieved 30 destinations in 30 months. By 2010, Etihad plans to service 70 international destinations.
