Etihad Airways has appointed Mr Jordi Porcel Cortes as its General Manager for Spain. Jordi Porcel will be based in Etihad Airways’ new Madrid office, where he will lead the airline’s Spanish commercial operations.

The appointment comes as Etihad Airways prepares to launch direct flights between Madrid and Abu Dhabi on 30 March 2015.

Bringing a wealth of industry experience to the airline, Jordi previously worked for Vueling Airlines, where he served as Chief Sales Officer, responsible for sales for the past three years. Prior to joining Vueling Airlines, he worked in various managerial positions at British Airways, lastly as Regional Commercial Manager Spain, Portugal and Latin America.

Jordi holds a Commercial and Marketing degree from the ESEM School and an Executive MBA from the Instituto de Empresa. He also holds degrees from the WTTA University in Johannesburg and the IBM Business School in London. 

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We welcome Jordi to our global commercial team. His experience in the aviation industry and knowledge of the region will be invaluable to the success of Etihad Airways’ new Spanish operations.

“The new service will help boost inbound tourism for Spain and strengthen the already strong trade ties with the UAE. Travellers will have great opportunities to connect over Abu Dhabi to the entire Gulf region, Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia.”