Etihad Airways joins Aerospace Xelerated as a partner

Etihad Airways has joined Aerospace Xelerated as a programme partner for its fourth cohort.

Following three successful cohorts led by Boeing and supported by industry partners, this year’s programme will be run in partnership with Tawazun Economic Council, the defence and security acquisitions authority of the United Arab Emirates. Other partners include the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and GKN Aerospace.

Startups accepted into the programme will have the option to benefit from a £100K investment from Boeing, with potential for additional funding from partners, and have access to strategists and technical experts from industry that support in developing proof of concept opportunities.

Etihad Airways will be giving startups the opportunity to collaborate and develop proof of concepts on unique challenge statements proposed by the global brand and they will be working alongside Etihad to enable the trial and iteration of their digital solutions.

Tristan Thomas, Director of Digital, Commercial & Customer at Etihad said: “Etihad’s commitment to offer high quality experiences for its guests, bring the world to Abu Dhabi and be a sustainable airline, calls us to constantly challenge the way we do things. The airline strategically places innovation at the heart of that process, allowing Etihad to source and trial promising digital technologies for its guests and business. We are excited to embark in this journey with Aerospace Xelerated and its startup ecosystem to rethink our industry and accelerate innovation.”

Nichola Bates, Managing Partner at Aerospace Xelerated and Head of Global Accelerators and Innovation Programs at Boeing, said: “It’s an honour for us to have Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, join as a partner, adding even more value to our programme.”