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Etihad Airways plans IPO no earlier than 2025, sources say

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways plans to make its stock exchange launching no quicker than 2025, two people familiar with the matter stated, in potentially the first IPO of a significant Gulf airline company as the UAE's capital ramps up effort to end up being a global travel center.

Etihad, owned by sovereign wealth fund ADQ, had thought about listing this year, the people said.

Nevertheless, it wants to present investors with 2024 monetary outcomes that will reveal a strong performance, one of individuals said. Geopolitical instability in the area has likewise weighed on timing, the 2nd person stated.

ADQ decreased to comment. A spokesperson for Etihad stated it does not discuss rumour or speculation.

Etihad, which began operations in 2003, invested billions of dollars buying minority stakes in other providers to create bigger network through its Abu Dhabi center and much better compete with Gulf peers Emirates and Qatar Airways. However that method unravelled as many of those airlines faced monetary trouble.

After a management shake-up and years of paring back operations, Etihad has broadened under brand-new CEO Antonoaldo Neves.

Under its Journey 2030 strategy, it prepares to boost Abu Dhabi's function as a travel hub connecting Asia and Europe.

Targets consist of expanding locations to more than 125 airports by 2030 from over 70 today, and improving its fleet to over 160 aircraft from around 90 now.

Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport opened a. multibillion-dollar brand-new terminal in 2015 that tripled annual. capacity to 45 million guests.

Our required is clear: to provide amazing customer. service and sustainable profitability, as the structure for. Etihad's contribution to Abu Dhabi's aspirations, Neves was. priced estimate as saying last November.

The airline company last month reported a 48% increase in half-year. after tax profit, with passenger numbers increasing 38% to 8.7. million. That followed full-year net profits in 2022 and 2023.

Neves informed Reuters in March that Etihad was enhancing. transparency, governance and its balance sheet to be all set for. an IPO needs to ADQ choose to list it.

Etihad likewise deals with delays in receiving new airplane from. planemakers Airbus and Boeing, which have actually forced. some airlines to downsize growth plans.

That comes amidst a boom in international travel considering that the. pandemic, which governments in the Gulf are riding to pursue. reforms targeted at diversifying their economies far from fossil. fuels.

The procedures consist of privatising state possessions consisting of. airlines, and a possible Etihad listing would contribute to the. regional flurry of IPOs recently.

The president of bigger competing Emirates said in 2021 the. Dubai government was thinking about an IPO of the airline company, and. Flynas in Saudi Arabia is aiming to list as soon as this year,. Bloomberg reported. Flynas was not instantly readily available for. remark.

(source: Reuters)