Sharjah 24 – WAM: Etihad Airways has unveiled its ambitious network overhaul, positioning the airline for sustainable expansion while improving Abu Dhabi’s links to global markets.

The new network is designed to support Abu Dhabi visitor growth and provide travellers with more options by introducing new destinations, providing more options, and increasing frequencies to key international markets.

The updated schedules have been timed for departures from Abu Dhabi at 14:00, ensuring travellers and visitors can thoroughly experience Abu Dhabi's hotels and attractions until their checkout time. This approach enhances the overall travel experience while maximising the enjoyment of Abu Dhabi's offerings.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said, “As we embark on Etihad’s next chapter targeting growth, our ambitious network and improved connectivity allows us to better serve Abu Dhabi and our valued guests, forming the basis of our future expansion while providing flexibility and freedom to adapt to new opportunities and markets.”

Etihad has already announced the launch of nine new destinations this year, including Malaga, Mykonos, Lisbon, Kolkata, St Petersburg, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Osaka, and Boston. In addition, the airline this week published two new routes to the Indian Subcontinent, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, to be launched in January 2024. These new destinations showcase Etihad's dedication to expanding connectivity and providing travellers with more options globally.

To complement these developments, Etihad has made several recent network changes and frequency adds to enhance travel options and connectivity, including improved departure times and expanded frequencies. The increased frequencies will include Chennai, Islamabad, Kochi, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Rome, and Phuket.

Etihad announced an additional 5 flights per week to make triple daily operations to Cairo, effective from 1st January, strengthening the link between Abu Dhabi and the Egyptian capital. Seven direct flights per week to o Colombo were announced with 3 flights effective from 1st December and 4 flights effective from 1st January, further enhancing travel options to this destination. Additionally, the carrier announced an additional 7 flights per week to the Maldives, with 3 flights effective from 1st December and 4 flights effective from 1st January.