Head of Strategic Airline Partnerships & Alliances

Role Overview

Head of Strategic Airline Partnerships & Alliances at Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi.

Company Overview

Etihad Airways is the UAE's national airline, operating from its hub in Abu Dhabi. The company is executing a "Journey 2030" growth ambition to double its fleet, expand its global network, and grow its workforce. Etihad is entering a significant expansion phase and is one of the world's most ambitious airlines.

Role Purpose

Lead the development, negotiation, implementation, and optimisation of Etihad's strategic airline partnerships to expand global reach, strengthen the network, and deliver sustainable commercial value. Shape partnership strategy that creates lasting value across the airline's entire commercial operation and influences the aviation industry at scale.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Partnership Development

• Develop and execute Etihad's strategic airline partnership agenda in line with broader commercial objectives.
• Identify, evaluate, and secure new partnership opportunities including joint ventures, codeshares, interline agreements, capacity arrangements, and innovative partnership models.
• Strengthen and expand existing partnerships into deeper, more strategic relationships.
• Expand partnership opportunities beyond passenger revenue into loyalty, cargo, ancillaries, and operational collaboration.

Negotiations & Executive Engagement

• Lead complex commercial negotiations and secure internal approval for major partnership investments.
• Build robust business cases and present recommendations to executive leadership and Board-level stakeholders.

Governance & Performance Management

• Implement and govern strategic partnerships to ensure delivery of agreed commercial outcomes.
• Monitor, evaluate, and optimise partnership performance through commercial and profitability metrics.

Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

• Drive cross-functional collaboration across Revenue Management, Network Planning, Sales, Marketing, Loyalty, Cargo, Operations, Finance, and Legal teams.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 12 years of industry experience in aviation.
• Deep expertise in airline alliances, partnerships, joint ventures, codeshares, or network cooperation agreements.
• Additional experience in one or more commercial disciplines such as Revenue Management, Network Planning, Sales, Commercial Strategy, or Pricing.
• Significant leadership experience within the aviation industry.
• Strong record of leading complex negotiations and delivering commercially successful outcomes.
• Proven ability to build compelling business cases and influence senior executive stakeholders.

Skills & Competencies

• Outstanding stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Global network of airline industry contacts and relationships.
• Ability to operate strategically while remaining hands-on in execution.
• Strategic vision combined with commercial execution capability.