You read on this site about the rumours a few weeks ago.
Etihad reviewing its European investment strategy
There were loyal UAE journalists saying that the runours were “fake news” – just mischief making. Not so.
Etihad Airways announced today that chief executive James Hogan and chief financial officer James Rigney will both “step down” from their roles.
Both will leave the company in the second half of 2017 after a decade with the Middle Eastern carrier.
“We are very grateful to James. In just ten years, he has overseen the growth of the company from a 22 plane regional carrier into a 120 aircraft global airline and aviation group, with seven airline equity partnerships which together serve more than 120 million guests every year,’’ said Etihad Aviation Group chairman H.E. Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei.
Etihad holds stakes in Virgin Australia (25.1 per cent), German airline AirBerlin (29.2), Air Serbia (49), and Swiss regional carrier Darwin Airline (33.3) which has been renamed Etihad Regional.
Mr Hogan has been criticised for Etihad’s investments in a group of loss-making airlines which it does not control.
It is clearly time for a new approach.