Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has announced the five amateur golfers who will take part in the Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s innovative long drive competition from the wing of a wide-bodied aircraft.
The golfers, emulating last year’s iconic “Swing on the Wing,” will compete against current long drive world record holder Paul Slater and a European Tour star who is playing in next week’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.
More than 8,000 golfers took part in long drive competitions at 36 clubs across the world in order to qualify for the final in Abu Dhabi, with the winners coming from Dubai, England, Germany, India and the USA.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ CEO, said: “The response from the golfing world to the “Swing on the Wing” competition has been absolutely amazing and all of us at Etihad are looking forward to welcoming the winners to Abu Dhabi for this once in a lifetime experience.”
Etihad made global media headlines in 2006 with its inaugural “Swing on the Wing” in which Ryder Cup stars Paul Casey and Ian Poulter attempted to break the world record for a golf drive from the wing of an Etihad Airways Boeing 767 parked at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
All eyes will be on the Abu Dhabi runway on Wednesday 17 January to see if Paul Slater’s world record golf drive, which stands at 884 yards, can be beaten.
The 36 prestigious clubs across the world offered their members the chance to take part in the opening rounds of “Swing on the Wing” with the overall winners securing their place in Etihad’s unique long drive competition.
The winners are James Efde from London, Ralph Bellet from Frankfurt, Sidharth Sriram from New Delhi, John Jordan from New York and Rob Atkinson from Dubai.
The UAE golfers who won their club competitions were: Rami Belaid (Abu Dhabi GC), John Cloete (Al Ain), Derek Sibson (Al Ghazal), Dino Varkey (Dubai Creek), Philip Verzun (Jebel Ali), Chris King (The Montgomerie) & James Skariah (Nad al Sheba).
The “Swing on the Wing” is the prelude to Etihad Airways’ involvement in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship which takes place between the 18 and 21 January at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
As the platinum sponsor and official airline for the 2007 event, Etihad will be involved in a series of promotional activities surrounding the tournament as well as flying the players, officials and their equipment to the UAE.
About Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates and based in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi. Currently Etihad offers flights to 47 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa and Asia.
For further information contact Etihad Airways Corporate Communications. Tel: +971 2 505 8336 or visit the airline’s websites, www.etihadairways.com
