Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is set to launch six new routes in the first half of next year.

 

It will commence daily flights to Madrid (Spain), Edinburgh (Scotland), Kolkata (India) and Entebbe (Uganda).

 

It will also operate four flights a week to Hong Kong and three flights a week to Algiers.

 

In addition, Etihad’s existing daily flights to Brisbane (Australia), currently operated via Singapore, will become a direct service from June, offering the first non-stop connection between the city and Abu Dhabi. 

 

Further service upgrades in June include the introduction of a three-class Airbus A330-300 aircraft on daily flights to Singapore, and a three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on daytime flights to Moscow, marking the debut of First Class cabins on both of the existing routes.

 

James Hogan, president and chief executive officer of Etihad, said: “Our global network development in the first half of 2015 supports a long-term vision to provide travelers with an extensive range of destinations and connections over Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub. These new destinations have been selected to expand our coverage and strengthen our customer proposition in the strategically important markets of Europe, Asia and Africa.

 

“The expansion will also create new opportunities to enhance our codeshare agreements and align operations with key airline partners, such as Virgin Australia, Jet Airways, Air Seychelles, Air Europa and Kenya Airways. Between Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong, for instance, our four weekly flights will combine with Air Seychelles’ three weekly flights to provide a daily frequency.”

 

Etihad’s global passenger and cargo network will increase to 107 destinations following this route expansion. The total includes five new routes already launched this year to Medina, Jaipur, Zurich, Los Angeles and Yerevan, together with four upcoming services to Perth, Rome, Phuket and Dallas, which commence over the remainder of the year.

 

The airline will also continue to increase frequencies on existing services next year, providing travelers with even more comprehensive travel choices. Network depth will be added to important markets across the North America, Middle East and Indian subcontinent regions.

 

As part of the Etihad’s ongoing fleet development, nine aircraft are scheduled for delivery in the first half of next year, comprising three Airbus A380s, three Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and three A320 family aircraft. - TradeArabia News Service