Etihad Airways increases Sri Lanka flights to double daily

23 Oct 2013 10:30

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will increase its Abu Dhabi-Colombo service from seven flights per week to a double daily schedule from February16, 2014.

Operated with an A320 aircraft fitted with 16 Pearl Business Class seats and 120 Coral Economy Class seats, the new service will add over 1,900 seats per week on the Abu Dhabi-Colombo route.

The new flights will also offer a 46 per cent increase in the number of connections to key destinations in the UK, Europe, Africa and the GCC via the airline’s hub in Abu Dhabi.

Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways’ Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, said: “Colombo is a fast growing city that serves as a major business and trade hub. Our new second daily flight to Colombo will strengthen our position in the Sri Lankan market and offer our guests more convenient travel options and improved connections to many key destinations across our global network.The new flights will also further strengthen commercial and cultural ties between Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.”

The new service will also build on the strength of Etihad’s partnership with Sri Lankan Airlines with the carriers combining to offer three daily services on the route with convenient schedules for guests.

The Colombo service was re-launched in January 2010 and has carried more than 210,000 passengers to date.