News Extra: Etihad Airways Contract

February 2nd 2006 was a significant day in the history of Chauffeurcar. It was then that we learned we had won the contract to provide ground transportation for Etihad Airways for London Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports. This was the culmination of many months work since the first approach and tender submission.

Etihad shortlisted six companies and, from those, chose only two to give a presentation to their stakeholders. Roy Kent (CEO), Torsten Brosé (General Manager) and Katie Lazarus (Account Executive) travelled to Abu Dhabi for this final stage and it was there that they were told Chauffeurcar had been successful. A truly great achievement for such a young company up against some very experienced competition. It was explained that the reason Chauffeurcar had been chosen was our unique approach to client satisfaction.

This contract opens up substantial opportunities for growth in the chauffeuring side alone but this is intended to be only the starting point.
Etihad is the fastest growing airline in the world (please see background information below). We anticipate commencing “guest” transportation for London Heathrow flights on 1st May, tying in nicely with the establishment of the Chauffeurcar Desk at Heathrow Airport, Terminal 3 which will be up and running from early April, 2006. As soon as is practically possible “guest” transportation from Gatwick will follow.

As a result of Etihad contracting our services for their Manchester flights we intend to establish a Chauffeurcar Manchester operation by mid-2006 to support these. As there also appears to be a number of additional potential corporate opportunities which we are currently evaluating this could lead to Manchester becoming quite a substantial operation in its own right.

Once the Etihad/Chauffeurcar template is formally established in the U.K., Chauffeurcar is hoping to replicate the service in other European countries they fly to. At this stage it is not clear whether we would establish these as franchises or partnerships but, in order to build a global Chauffeurcar brand, careful consideration is being given to how this may be best managed.

Etihad Airways have an innovative “Guest Recognition Programme”. In conjunction with the GRP, Chauffeurcar are hoping to be involved in developing a premium hospitality service.

Roy Kent said: “This relationship with Etihad Airways could be the basis for Chauffeurcar launching a global executive car service and provide us with a platform from which to build the business into one of the most exciting composite client services businesses in existence and will take us into a new era beyond chauffeuring”.

Etihad Airways was established as the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates in July 2003 by a Royal decree by the then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, with the twin objectives of creating an airline that would bear the UAE flag and do the nation proud by extending true Arabian hospitality to its guests. Etihad is Arabic for “united” and hence the symbol of the bonding among the seven emirates that constitute the UAE.

Etihad made history by placing the largest order ever for new aircraft by a new airline and will be one of the first to fly the new A380 double-decker when they are introduced in 2007. This will afford unprecedented levels of luxury to the world of flying. The conventional designations of economy, business and first class have been dispensed with in favour of “guest zones” and, depending on the aircraft, up to three – Diamond, Pearl and Coral - are available each offering exclusive services to guests. The philosophy at the core of Etihad’s service is one of “guest-first”. All people who fly with Etihad are guests and not merely passengers and a relationship is established through all stages of the journey, from planning and booking travel to reaching their final destination.