UAE national carrier Etihad Airways recently undertook the inaugural flight of its year-round services to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon.
The flight, EY63, landed in Lisbon on Sunday, June 18, marking the start of regular thrice-weekly services from Abu Dhabi.
The new service will be operated on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, offering 28 seats in business and 262 seats in economy.
Initially announced as a seasonal route, Etihad decided to extend the service through to the winter season and make it a year-round operation, as a result of strong travel demand on that sector.
Antonoaldo Neves, chief executive officer, Etihad Airways, said: “As we continue to expand our global network, we’re thrilled to be flying for the first time to Lisbon. We look forward to welcoming guests to visit the historic city of Lisbon while also connecting the people of Portugal with the UAE and destinations across the Middle East, Asia and Australia.”
The inaugural flight to Lisbon coincides with the launch of Etihad’s summer season services to the Greek island of Mykonos which commenced on June 16 and to Málaga on June 18.
The airline said that it is gearing up to welcome more than 4 million passengers at Abu Dhabi International airport between June 20 and September 3 this year. It says that “a high volume of travellers will be joining locally in Abu Dhabi,” with the remainder connecting from across its network of 66 destinations.
To help streamline operations for those departing from Abu Dhabi during the peak summer season, the airline said that guests departing from Abu Dhabi can avail of services at Morafiq’s city check-in facility at the Mina Zayed and Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). Also, from June 19 to August 19, guests who check in at any of these two locations will receive 2500 Etihad Guest Miles.
(Image: Supplied by Etihad)
