Abu Dhabi carrier says strategy of linking up with other airlines, including Air Berlin, Aer Lingus and Virgin Australia, has paid off Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi carrier, has said its strategy of linking up with overseas airlines has helped fuel a sharp quarterly rise in passenger numbers and sales. The government-backed Gulf airline has surprised rivals by rapidly buying up stakes in four separate airlines, including Germany’s second-biggest, Air Berlin, Aer Lingus and Virgin Australia. At the same time, it is bulking up its own fleet and adding destinations across its network. For the period between April and June, Etihad says it pulled in revenue of $1.25bn as passenger numbers jumped by more than a third and cargo sales ticked higher. That is up from $957m in sales during the same period a year earlier

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