Etihad Airways appoints new GM for Philippines

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has appointed Juan Torres as GM for Philippines.
This is Torres’ second posting to Philippines with Etihad Airways; he was the airline’s GM, based in Manila, from October 2006 to March 2010.
Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer Peter Baumgartner said the airline was delighted to welcome Torres back to Manila following successful terms as GM in Tokyo as well as Brazil, where last year he launched Etihad Airways’ new Abu Dhabi-Sao Paulo services.
“Torres is one of the most experienced airline executives in our global commercial team and it’s with pleasure that we welcome him back to Philippines. His previous assignment in Philippines has equipped him with a deep understanding of the republic’s market and strong stakeholder relationships, Baumgartner said.
“Much has changed for Etihad Airways and its relationship with Philippines since Torres helped launch our services to Manila in 2006. Back then we operated a schedule of four weekly A330-200 flights; today, we serve the Philippine capital with two flights a day and a larger-capacity Boeing 777-300ER aircraft,” he added.
Baumgartner also acknowledged the contribution that the outgoing GM for Philippines, John Rees Evans, had made during his tenure in the role.
Torres starts his new role on March 3, relocating from Sao Paulo where he has been Etihad Airways’ area GM for South America and Brazil since June 2012. Prior to his posting to Brazil, Juan spent two years in Tokyo as Etihad Airways’ GM for Japan and played a key role in the launch of Etihad Airways’ services to Tokyo (Narita) and Nagoya.
Before joining Etihad Airways, Torres was with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines where he held a number of key senior management positions in different markets around the world.
Etihad Airways commenced services to Philippines in February 2006.