Etihad CEO Shrugs Off Impact Of Tariff Row, Says Global Economy Actually Helping Airline

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Etihad Airways' chief shrugged off any concerns or impact of the global tariffs, claiming that the Abu Dhabi carrier doesn't rely on any specific market and has an extremely strong international network.

“The tariffs are not new. There is negotiation across the globe (around resolving tariffs row). We don't rely on any specific market. If you see our network today, it is extremely strong across the board. I have regions that are strong and regions that are not as strong, but one compensates for the other,” said Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways .

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The US-driven trade tariff tension has been headline news in the media after US President Donald Trump announced the imposition of tariffs on various countries.

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According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), tariffs and prolonged trade wars dampen demand for air cargo and potentially travel. Additionally, uncertainty over how the Trump Administration's trade policies will evolve could hinder critical business decisions that drive economic activity, and with it, the demand for air cargo and business travel.

Despite trade wars and geopolitical tensions around the world, the UAE carrier has been making record profits .

Etihad Airways on Wednesday announced a record Dh1.1 billion net profit and record passenger numbers for the first half of 2025 and expects the second half to be even better.

“I would say that our results are a clear testament to our ability to maneuver any kind of seasonality that we face,” he said.

Similarly, the UAE flag carrier Emirates hit a new record after-tax profit of Dh19.1 billion in 2024-25, outstripping last year's Dh17.2 billion. This is the best performance in the airline's history, and in the airline industry for the reporting year 2024-25.

“The fact that we are delivering these strong results is clear proof that the global economy is actually helping us in all aspects. On cargo and passenger, we only see good things, that's in spite of any global geopolitical discussions that are going on for a very simple reason that we don't rely on any specific market,” he said during a media briefing while announcing record profits.

Antonoaldo Neves – an aviation industry veteran – has been leading the airlines in developed and developing nations that are much more volatile.

During a media briefing, he added that the UAE national carrier has been investing a lot in attracting companies to Abu Dhabi.

“If I list them, we have Air Europa, Ethiopian Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Akasa Air flying to Abu Dhabi. They were not flying to Abu Dhabi before... Etihad is open for business in terms of partnerships, and we're really proud of all these airlines that came to Abu Dhabi,” he added.

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