Following the historic Abraham Accords, Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced a new route connecting Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. Debby Group was chosen to lead the debut landing event with regards to media and public relations.
The Debby team's plan was to depict the landing as a national-level historic event of strategic significance. The plane carried Mohamed Al-Khaja, the UAE's First Ambassador to Israel, Tony Douglas, the CEO of Etihad Airways, and Mr. Eitan Na'eh, the head of the Israeli delegation to the UAE, among other high-ranking passengers.
Dozens of Israeli and International journalists and film crews waited for the debut flight to arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport to witness history in the making. At 12:25 PM the plane touched down and was greeted with a Water Salute, a tradition reserved for special occasions. following the landing, a festive reception was held with the delegation from the UAE and reporters.
To maximize the exposure, later that day Etihad hosted an exclusive cocktail party in the lavish penthouse of the luxurious Jaffa Hotel, with the participance of Foreign Ministry Director General, Alon Ushpiz; Director of the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, Manuel Rabate; Director-General of the Ministry of Tourism, Amir Halevi; CEO of Miral, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi; General Manager of the Ministry of Sports and Culture, Raz Frohlich; CEO of the Airports Authority, Shmuel Zakai; and other distinguished guests.
Etihad's Abu Dhabi-Tel Aviv line launch received immense media exposure in Israeli and international outlets, with over 100 news items on various platforms, including TV, radio, and countless tweets in multiple languages.
