Five years long service awards for Etihad staff

112 staff members, each of whom marked five years of service with the Abu Dhabi-based airline by the end of 2008, were congratulated on behalf of the airline's chairman, His Highness Doctor Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saif Al Nahyan, the board of directors and the senior management team.

75 staff members - including employees from Bahrain, Beirut and Cairo - were thanked in person by the airline's chief executive, James Hogan, as part of a special ceremony at Etihad's Training Academy where they were each presented with a special certificate and lapel badge.

James Hogan said, "Last November, Etihad Airways marked the fifth anniversary of its first flight. The airline has come a long way since then and that journey could not have been made without the hard work and commitment of our people, particularly this elite group who have been with Etihad almost from day one. Each has made an outstanding contribution to the success of Etihad and richly deserved to be recognised."

Etihad currently has more than 7,300 employees. The airline plans to recruit approximately 1,200 additional employees during 2009, bringing the total workforce to 8,500 by the end of the year.