IATA AGM 2013: Etihad plans one more US destination in 2014

Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan said during a (03-Jun-2013) media briefing at the IATA annual general meeting in Cape Town that the carrier plans to add one more US city in 2014. Etihad currently has three US gateways - Chicago O'Hare, New York JFK and Washington Dulles. It also serves Toronto in Canada and just launched service to Sao Paulo in Brazil. Mr Hogan says Etihad has no plans to add a second Latin American city in 2014 but says the carrier will start working with an unnamed Latin American carrier during 2014. Etihad is bullish on the prospects for growing its network in the Americas. The carrier particularly expects its US operation to benefit from the opening later this year of a US pre-clearance customs facility in Abu Dhabi. The facility will give Etihad a competitive advantage as it will be the first in the Middle East.