UAE's Etihad Airways for 2011 reported a "record" 8.3 million passengers,

up 17 percent from a year earlier. The carrier launched eight new routes in 2011 and now operates a network of 82 destinations. Routes with the strongest passenger growth last year included Dubai to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (48 percent), Paris (32 percent) and Manchester, U.K. (29 percent). According to CEO James Hogan, Etihad's 2011 performance—despite a sluggish global economy and high few prices—"is testament to our emergence as a formidable force in the international aviation arena."