Big plans for Etihad Airways are on the way.
A boost in the number of passengers flying, more aircrafts, a growing network of holiday destinations and more – the UAE national carrier has revealed its expansion plans for 2024.
Yes, that means more fuss-free holidays for Abu Dhabi residents (music to our ears).
Antonoaldo Neves, Group Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways said, “In addition to launching new destinations, we are working on increasing frequencies to our daily destinations in North America, Europe, Asia, the Gulf region, and the Indian subcontinent.”
“This is a significant step to provide more choices for travellers, offer increased comfort for passengers, and establish better connections within our growing global network.”
Here’s what’s in store.
The airline is adding new holiday hotspots to its network, with Boston becoming its fourth destination in the United States. Expect four weekly flights to the northeast American city starting from March 31.
Kenyan capital Nairobi will commence operations from May 1.
In early January, the airline added two new destinations in India: Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, in the Kerala region. This brings the total number of stations served by Etihad Airways in India to 10.
Etihad Airways will also up the number of flights to destinations such as Cairo, with 21 weekly flights, Colombo with 7, Islamabad with 14, and the Maldives with 14 flights.
In December 2023, the airline announced that it will fly its renowned jumbo A380 from AUH to New York-JFK. Offering a cabin called The Residence, the world’s only three-room suite in the sky, this isn’t your average aircraft. Talk about fancy.
Neves added, “In 2017, our fleet peaked at 110 aircraft, and we worked on reducing the fleet size between 2019 and 2022. Today, we are witnessing the return of our large aircraft such as the Airbus A380, Boeing 787, and Boeing 777, resulting in an increase in our fleet to 86 aircraft, and we expect it to reach a total of 160 aircraft by 2030.”
Named third best airline in the world, Etihad will strive to triple its passenger traffic from 2023. The goal is to reaching 30 million passengers this year.
