Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, revealed its plans to add additional flights to prominent destinations in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. The airline will be expanding its services to Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Amman in Jordan, Beirut in Lebanon, Colombo in Sri Lanka, as well as Kolkata and Bangalore in India. The increased flights align with Etihad's ambitious strategy to expand its global presence, contributing to Abu Dhabi's connectivity on a broader scale. This move aims to provide passengers with more adaptable travel choices, according to the airline.
Etihad's Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, Arik De, expressed that the recent increases in flight frequencies are in harmony with the airline's seamless connections at Abu Dhabi. The expanding global network aims to provide passengers with more options to travel at their preferred times and facilitates enjoyable visits or layovers in Abu Dhabi as an integral part of their journey. The enhanced flight schedules will see Etihad operating 28 weekly flights to Jeddah and Riyadh from March 15, along with 11 weekly flights to Amman starting June 15. Additionally, there will be increased frequencies to Beirut (7 per week), Colombo (17 per week), Kolkata (8 per week) and Bangalore (17 per week).
Earlier this year, Etihad announced the commencement of new flights to Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram in India, Boston in the United States, and Nairobi in Africa. Starting February 22, the airline will offer 17 weekly flights to Bangkok, Thailand, and 14 to Colombo (beginning May 1). Etihad also recently initiated a flash three-day sale, allowing passengers to book round-trip Economy class flights for as low as Dhs835. The sale covered selected destinations for travel between January 23 and June 15, providing travelers with affordable options for holiday plans, including Ramadan. Return flights to the newly-added city, Kozhikode, in the Etihad Airways flash sale started at Dhs745.