Etihad Airways appoints Abdul Khaliq Saeed, CEO

The Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) has appointed Abdul Khaliq Saeed the new Chief Executive Officer for Etihad Airways Engineering.

Saeed, replaces Jeff Wilkinson, who left the post after 11 years with the company.

Mr. Saeed brings over 35 years of international maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry experience, and joins Etihad Airways Engineering from Abu Dhabi based, Turbine Services & Solutions (TS&S) where he has been Chief Executive Officer since 2014.

Before joining TS&S, he was President and CEO of Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) until it was acquired by Etihad Airways and became Etihad Airways Engineering in 2014. He has also held senior positions within Mubadala Aerospace, Jet Airways, and Gulf Air.

Reacting to his appointment,a delighted Abdul Khaliq Saeed said that he looked forward to join the team in building its global customer base and enabling Abu Dhabi’s growth as an aviation hub.

“I am delighted to join Etihad Airways Engineering, a company at the forefront of MRO innovation in the region and worldwide. I look forward to continuing the great work by the team to build our global customer base and enable Abu Dhabi’s growth as an aviation hub.” he said in a statement issed by the company.

Expressing happiness,Interim Group CEO of Etihad Aviation Group, Ray Gammell, saidthat Khaliq’s MRO experience, knowledge of the regional aviation market and proven track record makes him the clear choice to operate and grow thecritical part of the Etihad Aviation Group.”

Gammell commended outgoing CEO Jeff Wilkinson, for leading the integration of ADAT to Etihad Airways Engineering, a complex change management programme that required skilful leadership. During his tenure, the company became the largest airline MRO provider in the region, the first with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval to manufacture 3D-printed aircraft cabin parts.