26 Oct 2014 12:00
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, today commenced daily non-stop flights between Abu Dhabi and Phuket, the airline’s second destination in Thailand.
The inaugural flight
– EY430 – departed Abu Dhabi International Airport at 8.40am local time and
touched down at 6.00pm at Phuket International Airport, where it was welcomed
by a water cannon salute, a gathering of dignitaries and airline
representatives, and a performance by traditional Thai dancers.
Situated off the west
coast of Thailand in the tranquil Andaman Sea, Phuket is one of Thailand’s
southern-most provinces and the largest island in the Kingdom. Its pristine
natural beaches, plethora of resorts, and year-round sunshine make it a
top-ranking destination for holidaymakers the world over.
James Hogan,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “The new Phuket route is a natural expansion
of our Thai network and a strong addition to our portfolio of leisure
destinations, such as the Seychelles, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
“With
attractive departure and arrival times and seamless connections from more than
25 cities across the GCC and Europe, the new services will contribute greatly
to the growth of tourism to the region.
“Holidaymakers
from the UAE and GCC as well as from key European markets including London, Milan,
Munich and Paris will now have enhanced travel options to the island
destination and enjoy Etihad Airways’ award-winning service along the way.”
Connections to Phuket
from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Rome and Belgrade are also available with Etihad
Airways’ European partners, airberlin, Alitalia and Air Serbia.
Phuket is one of the
10 new routes launched or to be launched by Etihad Airways in 2014. Others
included Medina on 1 February; Jaipur on 1 April; Los Angeles and Zurich on 1 June;
Yerevan on 2 July; and Rome and Perth on 15 July. These will be followed by San
Francisco on 18 November and Dallas on 3 December. Phuket is also the airline’s
seventh destination in South East Asia alongside Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City,
Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore.
A two-class Airbus
A330-200 aircraft operates the Abu Dhabi-Phuket sector with 22 seats in
Business Class and 240 seats in Economy Class.
Reservations for the
new Phuket service can be made at etihad.com,
through Etihad Airways Contact Centres or travel agents worldwide.