Rival Gulf carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates maintain a healthy rivalry, James Hogan, Etihad's CEO, has said.
Speaking at the Business Travel Market in London's Excel, Hogan said the two airlines were "like Arsenal and Manchester City", the two football teams the airlines sponsor.
He said: "The teams respect each other, but when they go out and play they both want to win. It's the same with us. We respect what they've done. They've built a success story."
Despite living on each other's doorsteps, the airlines don't plan on working any closer together.
"We occasionally have a beer at an IATA event, but that's about it," said Hogan.
During his keynote speech, Hogan outlined future plans for Etihad, saying the airline is not attempting to become the biggest but the best in class.
He said Etihad does not want to be a global airline on its own: "We're not ordering 100 A380s like Emirates, we're ordering 10."
Instead, it is looking to build a strong global network through partnerships with other airlines, but not by joining an airline alliance.
For example, in February the airline cemented its partnership with Virgin Australia, allowing the two airlines to codeshare on a combined 27 flights per week between Sydney and Abu Dhabi.
Hogan said the partnership with Virgin Australia had given Etihad the "mass" to target corporate travellers.
With 31 other partnerships in place, he added that Etihad's partnership with American Airlines was one to watch, giving the middle eastern carrier extended reach into the US market.