Etihad Airways today confirmed that it will donate one dirham from every flight ticket sold in the United Arab Emirates during 2017 towards the UAE’s Year of Giving causes.

• Etihad Airways to donate one dirham from every ticket sold in the UAE to Emirates Red Crescent as part of year-long programme

• A380 engine decals to promote the UAE Year of Giving across Etihad Airways’ A380 route network, including Sydney, Mumbai, London Heathrow and New York

• One dirham ticket donation part of broad Etihad Airways – Emirates Red Crescent corporate social responsibility partnership

The initiative is one of dozens being rolled out in the air and on the ground by Etihad Aviation Group (EAG), including offering free Etihad Cargo space for humanitarian causes, as part of efforts to touch the lives of those in need around the world.

Each month, the airline will donate all proceeds to Emirates Red Crescent’s local and international projects, including the recently launched campaign ‘For Your Sake, Somalia’ targeting famine in the African nation. Etihad Airways’ guests will also shortly be able to donate to Emirates Red Crescent during flights using a credit card.

Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, Peter Baumgartner, and the airline’s Executive Vice President Commercial, Mohammad Al Bulooki, launched the initiative with a special Etihad Airways dirham podium, inscribed with the message ‘A dirham can go a long way’.

“We are proud to embrace the Year of Giving, a remarkable initiative which truly reflects the Emirati spirit of philanthropy,” said Mr. Baumgartner. “This donation is one of many philanthropic initiatives we are announcing throughout 2017, in a mission to embed giving within our corporate culture and in the way we do business.”

Secretary-General of Emirates Red Crescent, Mohamed Ateeq Al-Falahi, said: “We are proud to have worked for many years with Etihad Airways. Their unrelenting commitment, whether through donations or volunteering, has been heart-warming. We will continue to work together throughout the Year of Giving to support the UAE’s humanitarian mission.”

The airline’s Year of Giving drive is visible on its flagship aircraft, the Airbus A380, with all four engines of the double-decker displaying the Year of Giving logo to promote the national initiative overseas in Etihad’s A380 destinations of Sydney, Mumbai, London Heathrow and New York.

This latest initiative builds on the group’s track record as a socially responsible organisation. Annually, EAG conducts dozens of community engagement initiatives among the local community in the UAE and internationally, including earlier programmes in India, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. In 2016, EAG employees volunteered over 4,300 hours of time in support of charities and community causes.

2017 was officially declared as the Year of Giving by the UAE’s President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In support of this national initiative, EAG’s strategy is based on the government’s three Year of Giving pillars: Corporate Social Responsibility, Volunteering and Serving the Nation.