Etihad announces expansion plans for 2015

The race between the Gulf carriers is heating up after Etihad Airways announced significant expansions to its services for 2015.

The airline will launch six new routes in the first half of the year, with the commencement of daily flights to the European capitals of Madrid (Spain) and Edinburgh (Scotland), along with Kolkata (India) and Entebbe (Uganda). 

Etihad will also operate four flights a week to Hong Kong, and three weekly services to Algeria’s capital and largest city, Algiers.

Etihad Airways’ Hong Kong flights (effective June 15, 2015)

The flights to Hong Kong will commence on June 15, and complement the existing services offered by the carrier’s codeshare and network partner, Air Seychelles, thereby ensuring a daily frequency between Abu Dhabi and the Chinese Special Administrative Region (SAR).

Air Seychelles’ existing Hong Kong flights

“The [six new routes] will 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,” said Etihad Airways president and chief executive James Hogan.

“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.”

Hong Kong will become Etihad’s seventh destination in Northeast Asia and its fourth destination in Greater China after Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. The Gulf carrier will serve the SAR with a two-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft, which offers 22 seats in business class and 240 in economy.

Meanwhile, Etihad will also be upgrading several of its existing routes including the daily flights to Brisbane (Australia), which is currently operated via Singapore. Starting from June 2015, this will become a direct service, thereby offering the first non-stop connection between Abu Dhabi and the Australian city.

The airline will deploy its soon-to-be delivered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to the route, which will offer the carrier’s new First Suite, Business Studio and Economy Smart cabin products.

Further service upgrades will be the introduction of the three-class Airbus A330-300 aircraft on Etihad’s daily flights to Singapore, along with the three-class B787-9 on daytime flights to Moscow, representing the debut of the airline’s first class offering on both existing routes.

For more information, visit etihad.com

Clement Huang