The national airline of Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways, has partnered up with Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s future energy and sustainability initiative, to cooperate on various activities to reduce the carbon footprint of the airline through sustainable and efficient measures, according to a press release from the airline.
Under the agreement, Masdar will work with Etihad to support the implementation of the airline’s environmental, management initiatives, in particular in relation to carbon and waste management.
The Masdar Initiative, driven by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company which, according to its website, is the world’s most ambitious sustainability project and will be the world’s first carbon neutral city.
The project aims to establish a whole new city outside Abu Dhabi for 50,000 inhabitants and positions Abu Dhabi as a global leader in research and development for new energy technologies.
In order to achieve this goal, Masdar has signed an agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) whereby MIT will establish a campus in the new city.
Etihad Airways was set up as the national airline of Abu Dhabi in 2003 after a royal decree with a startup capital of $136 million. The airline was established after the same model successfully used by neighboring Dubai when setting up its national carrier Emirates Airline to promote both tourism in the country and to create additional streams of revenue and employment opportunities for its citizens.