April 1- James Hogan, CEO of Etihad Airways, said the UAE’s national carrier is flexible and positioned well to withstand the pressures and problems of the financial crisis.   Hogan explained that, because the airline, which began operations in 2003, is relatively young, it is able to operate with a ‘clean sheet of paper’ without many of the costs and legacy issues other larger airlines face.  He said “This puts Etihad in a good position to be more flexible and reactive to external issues and pressures, such as the global financial crisis.”

Hogan said the global financial crisis was difficult for all airlines, but the Middle East market continues to grow and is a major tourist attraction for Japanese visitors.   He said Etihad is the first Middle East carrier to operate a non-stop flight to Tokyo.  Etihad will offer five weekly flights linking the Middle East with Japan.