Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has completed the implementation of a comprehensive ebusiness transformation based on the Oracle E-Business Suite, as the national carrier strengthens its reputation as one of the world’s leading new airline.
Etihad, which only took to the skies in November 2003, will soon be flying to 30 destinations, a number which it intends to increase to 70 by 2010. Operating in 19 offices across the globe, the airline placed orders worth USD 8 billion for new aircraft in 2004, a bold statement that sent a clear message to its rivals in an increasingly competitive airline industry. Oracle E-Business Suite, with its industry-leading range of integrated financial and supply-chain solutions, was the natural choice for a company with such aggressive expansion plans.
The airline’s Oracle E-Business Suite project included several modules such as, general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, fixed assets, cash management, self service expenses, purchasing, inventory management and purchasing and self service procurement. Satyam Computer Services, the leading global consulting and IT services company, has provided the necessary consulting and implementation services to Etihad and have led the project to a successful completion, on time and on budget.
Ian Ferguson-Brown, head of brand management and communications at Etihad Airways commented: “The speed at which Etihad has grown into a world-class airline has been nothing short of astounding, but it is still early days. In order to move to the next level, we realized we had to have a world-class financial and budgeting system on board, in order to enhance our processes and improve decision making capabilities.”
“After weighing up a number of options, we chose the Oracle E-Business Suite, not only because of Oracle’s extensive experience in the aviation industry, and its commitment to the Middle East but also because we were so impressed by the Implementation Partner team’s deep understanding of our specific business requirements,” continued Ferguson-Brown.
Ayman Abouseif, managing director, Gulf States, Oracle, said: “Etihad is a world-class airline and, due to current trends in the aviation industry, demands a world-class enterprise resource planning system. Oracles E-Business Suite is that solution and will help the airline to streamline its financial processes.”
Price wars, fluctuating passenger loads, evolving regulations and rising fuel costs have led to the aviation business to become an increasingly complex business, especially in the Middle East where the skies are becoming increasingly crowded. Oracle, the world's largest enterprise software company, provided similar business solutions to most airlines in the region including Oman Air, Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways, Kuwait Airways, Gulf Air, Royal Jordanian, Middle East Airlines and Egypt Air.
About Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is the world’s leading new airline. Together with the sister organizations - Etihad Holidays and Crystal Cargo, Etihad Airways is changing the way people see the world. For more information about this award-winning aviation group, please visit www.etihad.ae .
About Oracle
Oracle is the world’s largest enterprise software company. For more information about Oracle, visit our Web site at www.oracle.com/me or contact Aly Rifaah on +9714 3909000
