Etihad
Etihad was both the youngest and the smallest of the Gulf carriers. Conceived in 2003 to provide enhanced airline service to Abu Dhabi, the airline had witnessed a decade of strong growth, including some of the highest rates of passenger growth in the region (doubled growth in 2005 had tapered off to a still-impressive 22.6% by 2012). The airline prided itself on a high-quality product, with numerous Skytrax awards as testament to this quality play, and had consistently added to its new roster of destinations to build service just under 85 destinations. The airline also owned a minority stake in airBerlin, as well as other minority stakes in Europe, the South Asian subcontinent and Australia