Etihad Airways, UAE’s national airline, has appointed Jordi Porcel Cortes as its general manager for Spain.

Porcel will be based in Etihad’s new Madrid office, where he will lead the airline’s Spanish commercial operations.

The appointment comes as the airline prepares to launch direct flights between Madrid and Abu Dhabi on March 30.

Bringing a wealth of industry experience to the airline, Porcel previously worked for Spain’s Vueling Airlines, where he served as chief sales officer, responsible for sales for the past three years. Prior to joining Vueling Airlines, he worked in various managerial positions at British Airways, lastly as regional commercial manager Spain, Portugal and Latin America.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, said: “We welcome Jordi to our global commercial team. His experience in the aviation industry and knowledge of the region will be invaluable to the success of Etihad’s new Spanish operations.” – TradeArabia News Service