Despite private planes being the norm for those who are among the well-heeled in society, Eithad Airways have stepped up and signed on to sponsor 17 of the WME/IMG fashion events around the world – including fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan, Berlin, and from this year Sydney.

It’s a savvy business move, after all the fashion pack loves to travel. Just flying the basic fashion circuit during the ready-to-wear women’s collections means heading to 4 different countries twice a year. Add men’s wear, a bit of couture, as well as a tropical jaunt for resort collections and is there ever a week you’re not in the air?

Large fashion glossy’s also need to jet off to exotic locales for shoots, taking with them editors, models, production assistants, make up artists, photographers and a more. According to IMG, about 100,000 travellers head to New York for fashion week alone. When you think about it, it’s a wonder no airline took advantage of the opportunity before.

Etihad Airways want to be the default option for all those who are part of the fashion industry, as well as those who want a taste of the luxe life. Add a few sponsored Instagram posts from Kendall Jenner or Olivier Rousteing and they’re likely to see their enquiries jump.

As the airline is not the traditional go-to for fashion fliers, they have a lot of ideas on how to change that perception. Patrick Pierce, Etihad’s vice president of sponsorship and Mark Shapiro, IMG’s chief content officer threw around just a few suggestions.

What would you think about a special “fashion flight” with additional perks on peak fashion days between New York and London, or London and Milan? Amenities bags by a specific designer who has a show in the city you’re heading to? The fashion channel offered as part of the entertainment. Perhaps even the newest collections on demand, in case you missed them in person. Ideally even live streaming shows directly from your plane seat.

As Abu Dhabi is a hub between the East and the West, and Etihad has code-share agreements with a multitude of airlines, this deal could begin to see some traction. The airline is even co-sponsoring the debut Oscar de la Renta show later this week at Sydney Fashion Week to show it’s support for the deal.

As air travel has been getting progressively less glamorous, it will be interesting to see if this deal can change the industry perception.