Etihad Airways opens new contact centre in Manchester

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has opened its Manchester guest contact centre with a reception for government officials and local business leaders.

Based at the Voyager Building at Manchester Airport, the guest contact centre is the airline’s first in Europe and fourth in the world. It will operate in conjunction with existing guest contact centres in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and India.

The guest contact centre will provide full-time employment for 160 local people, all of whom will receive extensive training in all aspects of the company’s global reservations system.

Manchester was chosen as the location for Etihad Airways’ first European guest contact centre after extensive research showed the city’s population offered the optimal mix of languages and skill sets. Manchester’s telecommunications infrastructure also put it ahead of rival cities.

Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer James Hogan said: “The opening of the Etihad Airways Manchester guest contact centre further demonstrates Etihad Airways’ commitment to the north of England.

School leaver Ryan Al Hakim, 18, who has completed a month-long training course to work at the guest contact centre as a sales agent, said: “Having a job in the current economic climate makes me feel proud that I have skills that are valued in a tough market. It means I can stand on my own two feet and not rely on others to carry me.”

Guest contact centre agent John Byrom, 18, said: “This job means so much to me. So many people today are unemployed and I feel lucky to walk out of college and into full-time employment. I have always wanted to work in the aviation industry.”

Pictured above (from left): Etihad Airways cabin crew, Etihad Airways Manager Manchester Contact Centre Sanjay Parmar, Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer James Hogan, Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese and Manchester City Council Chief Executive Sir Howard Bernstein at the opening of the Etihad Airways Guest Contact Centre in Manchester.