Etihad Airways Joins Ladies European Tour
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced that it will become the official airline of the Ladies European Tour (LET) in 2016.
The partnership sees Etihad Airways become the second LET global partner, joining Omega, the official timekeeper of the LET. Etihad Airways and LET will collaborate on a series of marketing and in-flight media initiatives promoting the tour’s roster of world-class female golfers.
The latest deal expands the airline’s sponsorship portfolio of women’s sport that already includes Manchester City Women’s Football Club, Melbourne City Women’s Football Club and the Washington Mystics of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Patrick Pierce, vice president of sponsorship for Etihad Airways, said: “The airline partners with a variety of sports properties around the world including football, cricket, Formula 1, basketball, hockey and cycling. Our support of the Ladies European Tour provides yet another opportunity for Etihad to increase our brand and business profile to an international audience passionate about golf.”
Ivan Khodabakhsh, chief executive of the Ladies European Tour, commented: “We are thrilled to enter a global partnership with Etihad Airways, one of the world’s truly great companies. The new relationship is testimony to the global appeal of the LET and the success of our players to connect with audiences in many markets around the world.”
Mona Walid, vice president of talent acquisition for Etihad Airways, added: “Etihad Airways is committed to developing women in the workforce and the alignment of our sports sponsorships with our business goals is an important part of driving our wider company strategy. Over 1,000 female employees already take part in our sports clubs in the UAE, and we will continue to utilize our involvement in the world of sport to engage our current and future employees.”
The LET, originally formed as the WPGA in 1978, held more than 20 tournaments in 18 countries in 2015.
