UAE: Etihad/Emirates merger rumours revive

There is renewed speculation that the UAE’s two main airlines – and flagships for their respective emirates – Emirates and Etihad Airways may merge, after it emerged that the expensively assembled Abu Dhabi-based carrier has been offering its pilots the opportunity to move to Dubai-based Emirates for two years on secondment. Loss-making Etihad is in the midst of a restructuring effort that has seen it abandon its strategy of investments in struggling airlines in Europe and Asia, drop unprofitable routes, scale back its fleet and replace its management team.