Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is eight years old today.

The airline – considered the World’s Leading Airline by the prestigious World Travel Awards – operated its inaugural, ceremonial flight to Al Ain on November 5th, 2003.

A week later, it operated its first commercial passenger flight to Beirut.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive officer, said: “Etihad Airways has achieved significant growth since it took to the skies eight years ago.

“Since our inaugural flight, we have built a global network of 86 passenger and cargo destinations, supported by one of the youngest and most environmentally efficient aircraft fleets in the world.

“We have grown to become a family of almost 9,000 people, drawn from more than 120 nationalities across the world, whose hard work and commitment have earned for us an enviable reputation for excellence and innovation which we will continue to build on.”

Etihad Airways operates directly to 86 destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Australia, Europe, North America and Asia, and to more than 220 destinations with its network of codeshare partners.