Etihad Airways has signed a new multi-million Euro deal with the GAA which includes sponsorship of the All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship for the next five years.
The airline is also to be the naming rights sponsor of the new Etihad Airways Skyline landmark tourist attraction at Croke Park.  This roof top tour of the stadium will be officially opened when Henry Shefflin carries the Olympic Flame across the famous stadium on June 6th.
Etihad Airways’ launched flights to Dublin in July, 2007 and become a key sponsor of the Hurling Championship at the start of the 2008 season.  Since that time it has promoted its involvement to a worldwide network and has hosted a number of temas and events in the Emirates.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “Hurling is one of the world’s most remarkable sports and it epitomises the passion of the Irish people. This strategic partnership is an example of the way we try to embed ourselves into the local culture of our destination markets and work with the local community.”
“In their time as partners with the GAA, Etihad Airways has brought a fresh approach to the promotion of the unique game that is hurling and their success in involving our clubs and supporters in their innovative and imaginative community initiatives has been outstanding,” said GAA President Christy Cooney.
“Etihad Airways’ support of our new Skyline facility is a further acknowledgement of their commitment to Gaelic games and in this instance to Croke Park in particular and we look forward to many more years in fruitful partnership with this leading international brand.”
Etihad Airways’ marketing activity in the first year of its sponsorship of the Championship was awarded the European Sponsorship of the Year in the Business to Consumer category by the European Sponsorship Association (ESA).
The airline is planning to extend the number of Irish employees across its network from the current 108, 22 of whom are based in Dublin.  Recruitment fairs are planned for April and July in both Dublin and Cork.  It has flown more than 753,000 passengers between Abu Dhabi and Dublin over the last five years and currently operates 10 flights a week between the two capital cities.
The deal is a major boost ahead of this weekend’s GAA Congress where Christy Cooney will hand over the Presidency to Liam O’Neill.  It also secures Etihad Airways’ deep involvement with the GAA at a time when rival Emirates airlines is looking at sponsorship to support its own new services out of Dublin.
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