As part of the UAE’s Innovation Week, Etihad Aviation Group, EAG, has launched Fikra, (which means idea in Arabic), a UAE-based competition aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and innovation across the country.

The competition also aims to encourage students to deliver solutions to some of the major challenges facing the aviation industry in today’s ever-competitive environment.

The challenges of the competition are focussed on 10 areas where the travel group is looking for specific ideas. These are focussed on delivering ideas around digital evolution, stopover visits, ancillary sales opportunities, improving loyalty schemes, specialist cargo, social media, youth engagement, airport experience and the environment.

In addition there is a special category called ‘Out of the Box’ that allows the next generation to pitch game-changing ideas, in line with some of the concepts that the airline has already launched such as The Residence.

"The Ministry of Education believes that education and research are important ways to acquire, develop and learn knowledge so we strongly support Etihad Airways in their Fikra initiative, as it will engage the students in innovation and business development. The project will invest in our youth and help them to pave the way forward to a sustainable and prosperous future," said Fatima Al Jefri, Director at the Department of Science, Technology and Research at the ministry.

Ray Gammell, Chief People and Performance Officer for EAG, said, "Innovation is key to how we do business and how we will continue to grow as a travel group. We have reached the size we are today by innovating quickly and supporting an entrepreneurial spirit throughout our business units. That commitment does not stop, the new Fikra project gives us an opportunity to hear from the country’s next generation and we hope it will deliver ideas that can push us to the next level of our development."

The first phase of the competition will see all submissions evaluated, appraised and scored on their merits. The 20 highest scoring participants will enter the next phase of the competition.