Etihad to hire Air Berlin CFO: source

[FRANKFURT] Abu Dhabi-based Etihad is set to hire Air Berlin finance chief Ulf Huettmeyer to manage its airline holdings around the world, a person familiar with the matter said on Saturday.

Such a move would leave Germany's second biggest airline without a finance chief for the first time since its stock market flotation in 2006, just as it struggles to return to profit.

It would also put 41-year-old Mr Huettmeyer in charge of Etihad's equity stakes in eight airlines around the world, including in Air Berlin, Aer Lingus, Virgin Australia and Alitalia, which the carrier has picked up as part of a global expansion strategy. "It is just a matter of time before he joins Etihad," the source said on Saturday.