Etihad looks to Americas and China for next investment

[FRANKFURT] Etihad Airways, the third-largest Middle Eastern airline, said it's looking for purchases in the Americas and China to round out its strategy of buying airline stakes that funnel traffic through its Abu Dhabi hub.

"We'll continue to build our equity alliance," Etihad chief executive officer James Hogan said at a press conference in Berlin. "These partners allow us to stretch our network globally and they are there for the next 5, 10 and 20 years."

Mr Hogan has made a string of minority investments spanning Ireland to Australia and is in talks with Alitalia, the Italian carrier that's seeking a new international backer after Air France-KLM Group said it won't provide fresh funds.