Etihad Airways group chief James Hogan, who plans to stand down later this year, detailed fleet-growth plans for 2017 and said that his strategy is attracting passengers and here to stay. Etihad will add 12 wide-body aircraft, including two A380 superjumbos, swelling capacity in what will be “another challenging year,” the Abu-Dhabi-based carrier said Wednesday. That follows the addition of 10 planes in 2016, three of them A380s. Hogan, who has been contending with losses at European carriers in which Etihad has invested, said in the release the aim is to expand “prudently and efficiently” in light of the prevailing economic environment, adding: “We remain optimistic and have every belief that our robust business model will succeed and, most importantly, stand the test of time.” Etihad’s customer tally increased 6% last year to 18.5m. Passenger traffic advanced 8%, just shy of the 9% hike in capacity, so that seat occupancy levels held steady at 79%. The company added new routes to Venice, the Moroccan capital Rabat and Istanbul’s secondary airport, Sabiha Gokcen. The bigger challenge has been to shore up the so-called equity alliance of carriers in which Etihad holds minority stakes, with two companies, Air Berlin Plc and Alitalia SpA, continuing to bleed cash despite restructuring efforts.<br/>