Etihad announces network expansion

Abu Dhabi: UAE’s national carrier Etihad Airways announced Tuesday (Jan 30) that it is adding more flights to key destinations in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. 


The airline is increasing flights to Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Amman in Jordan, Beirut in Lebanon, Colombo in Sri Lanka, and Kolkata and Bangalore in India.


“The enhancements are part of Etihad’s ambitious expansion of flights and frequencies to boost further Abu Dhabi’s global reach, offering more flexible travel options for its guests said the airline. 


Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer Arik De said: “These latest flight increases aligned with our seamless and practical connections at Abu Dhabi, and our growing global network offers our guests more opportunities to fly where they want to at a time that suits them.
“It also makes it easier to enjoy a fantastic visit or stopover in Abu Dhabi as an integral part of their journey.”


The increased flight frequencies would mean Etihad would operate 28 weekly flights to Jeddah and Riyadh starting March 15 and 11 weekly flights to Amman, Jordan, beginning June 15 this year. The latest increase would also mean more frequent flights to Beirut (7 per week), Colombo (17 per week), Kolkata (8 per week), and Bangalore (17 per week).


Earlier this year, the airline announced new flight launches to Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram in India, Boston in the United States, and Nairobi, Africa. Starting February 22, the airline will also offer 17 weekly flights to Bangkok, Thailand, and 14 to Colombo (beginning May 1). 


The airline also launched a flash three-day sale last week where passengers could book round trip Economy class flights for as low as Dhs835.
The three-day sale was valid on selected destinations for travel between January 23 and June 15, offering travellers a bargain over the holidays for Ramadan.
Return flights in the Etihad Airways flash sale to the newly-added city to Etihad’s roster, Kozhikode, started at Dhs745.

-B