Etihad Airways yesterday confirmed that it would donate one dirham from every flight ticket sold in the UAE in 2017 towards the UAE’s ‘Year of Giving’ causes.
The initiative is one of dozens being rolled out in the air and on the ground by Etihad Aviation Group (EAG), including offering free Etihad Cargo space for humanitarian causes, as part of efforts to touch the lives of those in need around the world, according to a press statement.
Each month, the airline will donate all proceeds to Emirates Red Crescent’s local and international projects, including the recently launched campaign, ‘For Your Sake, Somalia’, targeting famine in the African nation. Etihad Airways’ guests will also shortly be able to donate to Emirates Red Crescent during flights using a credit card.
Etihad Airways CEO Peter Baumgartner and the airline’s executive vice-president – Commercial, Mohamed al-Bulooki, launched the initiative with a special Etihad Airways dirham podium, inscribed with the message, ‘A dirham can go a long way’.
“We are proud to embrace the Year of Giving, a remarkable initiative which truly reflects the Emirati spirit of philanthropy,” said Baumgartner. “This donation is one of many philanthropic initiatives we are announcing throughout 2017, in a mission to embed giving within our corporate culture and in the way we do business.”
Mohamed Ateeq al-Falahi, secretary-general of Emirates Red Crescent, said: “We are proud to have worked for many years with Etihad Airways. Their unrelenting commitment, whether through donations or volunteering, has been heart-warming. We will continue to work together throughout the Year of Giving to support the UAE’s humanitarian mission.”   
The airline’s ‘Year of Giving’ drive is visible on its flagship aircraft, the Airbus A380, with all four engines of the double-decker displaying the ‘Year of Giving’ logo to promote the national initiative overseas in Etihad’s A380 destinations of Sydney, Mumbai, London Heathrow and New York. 
“This latest initiative builds on the group’s track record as a socially responsible organisation. 
Annually, EAG conducts dozens of community engagement initiatives among the local community in the UAE and internationally, including earlier programmes in India, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. In 2016, EAG employees volunteered over 4,300 hours of time in support of charities and community causes,” the statement noted.
2017 was officially declared as the ‘Year of Giving’ by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan. In support of this, EAG’s strategy is based on the government’s three ‘Year of Giving’ pillars: Corporate Social Responsibility, Volunteering and Serving the Nation.




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