21 Sep 2014 10:00
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will expand its global route network with the addition of Baku, Tbilisi and Dar es Salaam in the second half of 2015, increasing the total number of new destinations it has announced for next year to nine.
The fast-growing Caucasus
region will be a major focus area for the airline next year, with a new service
to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, being operated four times a week from 1
October, while Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, will be served three times a
week from 2 October.
Both cities are famed for
their warm hospitality and natural beauty, offering a breath-taking range of
botanic gardens and parks, as well as historic attractions, museums and
galleries.
Etihad Airways will also
commence a daily service to Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, from 1
December 2015, providing access to one of East Africa’s most important economic
and government centres, and the country’s many tourist attractions, including
pristine beaches, wildlife safaris, and the world’s highest free-standing
mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro.
The launch of Dar es Salaam
flights supports Etihad Airways’ continued expansion in Africa, representing
its 11th destination in the continent. It is also the airline’s fourth
destination in East Africa and will facilitate an increasing flow of passenger
and cargo traffic between the area and the United Arab Emirates, as well as key
markets across Etihad Airways’ North Asian network.
Flights to all three
destinations will be operated using Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class
configuration, with a total of 16 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in
Economy Class.
James Hogan, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “As a fast growing
international airline, our network is constantly being enhanced to better serve
travellers, either by adding depth to existing markets or expanding into new
markets. Seven new routes have already been introduced this year and three more
will follow by the end of 2014, strengthening our operations in the United
States, Europe, GCC, Indian subcontinent, Asia and Australia.
“The development of Etihad
Airways’ network will be accelerated in 2015, supporting a long-term vision to
position Abu Dhabi as a leading international travel hub, with extensive
connections across the globe. We have announced nine new destinations so far for
next year, including Baku, Tbilisi and Dar es Salaam, and we look forward to aligning
operations and enhancing codeshare agreements with our strategic airline
partners on these upcoming routes.”
The three latest additions
are part of a major international expansion of Etihad Airways’ global route
network. As previously announced, the airline will commence services to Phuket
(Thailand), as well as San Francisco and Dallas (United States) over the
remainder of 2014.
During the first half of
2015, daily flights will commence to the European capitals of Madrid (Spain)
and Edinburgh (Scotland), together with the historic state capital of Kolkata
(India) and one of the most important business and government centres in East
Africa, Entebbe (Uganda).
The airline will also
operate four flights a week to the world-class tourism and economic hub, Hong
Kong, and three flights a week to Algeria’s vibrant capital and largest city,
Algiers.
In addition, Etihad
Airways’ existing daily flights to Brisbane (Australia), currently operated via
Singapore, will become a direct service from June 2015, offering the first
non-stop connection between the city and Abu Dhabi. The route will be operated
using a three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with the airline’s brand new First
Suite, Business Studio and Economy Smart Seat.
Etihad Airways’ global
passenger and cargo network will increase to 110 destinations following the
network expansion. The airline will also continue to increase frequencies on a
number of existing services next year, providing guests with even more
comprehensive travel choices across Europe, the Middle East, Gulf region, Indian
subcontinent, Africa and North America.
As part of Etihad Airways’
ongoing fleet development, 14 aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2015,
comprising four Airbus A380s, three Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and seven A320
family aircraft. The airline currently has a total of 104 aircraft in its
fleet, with over 200 additional aircraft on firm order, plus options and
purchase rights for 81 further aircraft.
Map of Etihad Airways’
global route network, including new destinations for 2015
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