Kyoto, March 30th, 2010 (WAM) — James Hogan, CEO of Etihad Airways, has said the Airlines is not hit by global financial crisis and UAE is a major tourist attraction for Japanese visitors.

He added that the first flight from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Narita Airport in Tokyo was operated last Saturday, and five weekly direct flights will be operated from Abu Dhabi to Tokyo.

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He pointed out that global aviation sector has been hit hard by the sharp drop experienced in tourism because of the global financial crisis and H1N1 disease.

Hogan stressed that Etihad Airways, which started working in 2003 and operates flights to 60 destinations worldwide, does not face challenges and problems alike American, European and Japanese airlines, pointing to the new fleet and saying that the company has a “clean budget.” He added that there are about 350 Japanese companies operating in UAE and about 8000 Japanese have visited Abu Dhabi during the year 2009, while the number of Japanese visitors increased during January and February this year, by 12 per cent over the same period during the previous year, according to the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.