Etihad Airways names Antonoaldo Neves as new CEO

Antonoaldo Neves has been appointed Group Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group.

He will replace Tony Douglas, who has decided to pursue an opportunity elsewhere.

Douglas will serve as an adviser to the board of ADQ Aviation and Aerospace Services Company during the transition period.

The announcement comes after Abu Dhabi government transferred Etihad's ownership to wealth fund ADQ.

Neves was CEO and a board member of TAP, Portugal's national carrier. Prior to that he was with Azul Airlines in Brazil as President and a partner at McKinsey and Company.

Neves said in the statement he was excited for his role at Etihad, "a global well-known brand in the industry," and said he was confident it would continue "its journey of sustainable growth".

"Tony has led Etihad through some of its most challenging times and has successfully turned the airline into a profitable and sustainable business over the past five years," Etihad Chairman Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa said in the statement.

Douglas, who has held the position since 2018, expressed pride at being able to navigate the "unprecedented challenges stemming from macro-economic conditions faced by the industry...through prudent measures undertaken to position Etihad on a sustainable path for the future".

Etihad entered 2022 with a record breaking first-half operating profit of $296 million. These earnings are a testament of the restructuring program to reduce costs and preserve cashflow during the pandemic and on increased passenger travel demand.