Abu Dhabi, UAE. Etihad Airways iconic Airbus A380 took centre stage with a fly-by directly above Yas Marina Circuit to mark the start of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024 today.
Minutes before the start of the final race in the annual Formula 1 calendar, Etihad’s iconic Airbus A380 superjumbo flew over the starting grid. At 500 ft above the ground, this is one of the lowest altitude fly-bys Etihad has performed over the circuit.
Antonoaldo Neves, Etihad’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a gem in the Abu Dhabi calendar, attracting thousands of international visitors and millions of viewers around the world. We’re delighted to fly Etihad’s Airbus A380 over Yas Marina Circuit in a tradition marking the start of the race.”
This year’s fly past was operated by Captain Adel Al Zubaidi as pilot in command, Captain Harris Kynigos, Captain Ziad El Nady, Captain Azizan Othman.
Neves continued: “Partnering with major sporting events and teams around the world helps us to engage more closely with our guests, and this year we’re pleased to welcome Formula 1 fans to the Etihad activation in the F1 Village as well as eligible Etihad Guest members to the Etihad Guest Hospitality on the Hill experience.”
As well as enjoying the action on the track, Etihad has brought back its popular ‘Hospitality on the Hill’ for Etihad Guest members with a Platinum tier status and Gold members with co-branded partner credit cards. The exclusive Etihad Guest Lounge is located between Abu Dhabi Hill and the Main Grandstand, and following the success of the activation last year, this year’s hospitality is bigger and better.
At the F1 Village, fans enjoyed Etihad’s culinary showcase, children’s area, partner activation with Chennai Super Kings and Manchester City FC, destination selfie feature, and had the opportunity to try out their skills in the aircraft simulators.
