In many respects, an airport is a microcosm of an economy. This is especially true for large airlines like Etihad, which is headquartered in the region. Etihad does not only provide a means of transport. It has a catering service, engineering, marketing and customer service departments and a team that pull together all the logistics and operations management that goes with a global 24-hour operation.
It is noteworthy that, as reported in The National today, the airline intends to recruit more than 6,000 UAE nationals over the next five years. Because working for Etihad doesn't only mean flying; it can mean staying on the ground and being – or on your way to becoming – a high-flyer.
Emiratisation has been a focus of the Government for some time. Etihad, to its credit, has been more successful in this regard than many public and private sector organisations. It has worked closely with various government departments to try to get Emiratis into jobs, into education (sponsored by the airline) and into highly-skilled professions. Those 6,000 jobs are significant. They could easily take more Emiratis into key fields such as mechanical engineering and aviation science. They could propel those who might want a technical education towards their vocation.
This newspaper has long argued that it makes good sense to facilitate those who prefer working with their hands to gain the relevant qualifications, even if not necessarily at a graduate level. That slew of new jobs is also important in terms of outreach effect. Those who start at Etihad could move laterally into other related industries that require similar technical, logistical or other skills. Strata, the aerospace manufacturing company based in Al Ain, seems to be an obvious potential destination. Banks would be another: those who have worked closely with the financial departments of a company on the scale of Etihad would have transferable skills. Naturally, not all of those who join Etihad will leave – but in general, the idea of hiring local talent, training people, enabling them to contribute to the company and building careers at the same time will inevitably spread those skills right through the economy.
Etihad would then be more than an aviation company; it would also be a knowledge hub. The UAE has two world-class airlines. It requires many knowledge hubs.