Etihad Regional, a new European brand operated by Swiss-based regional carrier Darwin Airline, has launched direct daily services between Zurich, Switzerland and Leipzig/Halle, Germany.

Flight F7251 touched down at Leipzig/Halle airport at 12:20pm local time and the newly branded 50-seat Saab 2000 aircraft was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute.

This is Etihad Regional’s second route launch to Germany from Switzerland, following the start of a Geneva-Stuttgart operation in February.  The airline operates already from Leipzig to Amsterdam and Paris.

Maurizio Merlo, chief executive officer of Etihad Regional said: “It is a great honour for us to link these two important European cities, and even more so with a daily connection.

“Our service will no doubt enhance the already strong commercial and leisure ties between Switzerland and Germany, while at the same time extending Etihad Regional’s geographic presence in the German market.  It is good news for business and leisure travellers alike, as it is for the cities of Leipzig and Zurich.”

Peter Baumgartner, vice chairman designate of Etihad Regional said: “Importantly, the new service demonstrates Etihad Regional’s strategy to continue building a strong regional network linking European cities and towns, which also connect to the global network of our partners, including Etihad Airways and airberlin.

“For Etihad Regional, as for the Etihad brand as a whole, providing a remarkable guest experience is one of the core elements of our proposition.  What our guests expect is that we put them first. Put them first with our product, our service and our network, and that’s what we are doing.”
 
Markus Kopp, chief executive officer of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG, the parent company of Leipzig airport, said:  “It’s great to be able to launch a third European service from Leipzig/Halle in conjunction with our airline partner – Etihad Regional.

“We believe demand for the new service will be high both in our region and in the airline’s Zurich catchment area, and it will also be attractive for travellers coming to Leipzig from further afield.”

Beyond linking Leipzig and Zurich, the new flights will also offer travellers an opportunity to connect onto Etihad Airways, the UAE national carrier’s upcoming services from Zurich to Abu Dhabi. Flights beyond Abu Dhabi, offered by Etihad Airways and its equity partners, Jet Airways and Virgin Australia connect well with destinations in the Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Asia and Australia. – TradeArabia News Service