Etihad Airways to launch Flights between Abu Dhabi and Milan

On 2 September, Etihad Airways will launch a new route between the Italian industrial and fashion centre of Milan and the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi-based airline will operate three flights a week to Milan, Etihad’s ninth European destination.

At present the UAE’s Italian community stands at 2,000 and that figure continues to grow year-on-year. More than 80 Italian companies currently operate in the UAE and early demand for the new flights indicate that much of the traffic on the new route will come from the Italian business community.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said, “By offering more than 1,200 seats each week from Abu Dhabi to Milan, Etihad will play a key role in the growth of commercial and cultural ties between the UAE and Italy. Business and leisure travellers from both countries will be able to travel frequently, which will increase bilateral trade, especially in tourism.”

According to recent figures UAE-Italian trade amounted to AED17 billion in 2006, an increase of 28% over the previous year. Furthermore, Italian exports to the UAE, in the period of January to April 2007, stood at AED 6.3 billion which is an increase of 30% over the same period in 2006.

H.E. Ambassador Paolo Dionisi, the Italian Ambassador to the UAE, said, “The opening of the new Etihad flights to Milan will enhance relations between Italy and the UAE. This will bring the two countries closer in all sectors including business, tourism and investment. The direct connection between Milan and the UAE’s capital will also greatly boost Italian interests in Abu Dhabi and its growth as a global aviation centre.”

Return fares on the new route start from AED1330 for economy, AED7330 for business class and AED9330 for first class. The airline will operate a three-cabin A330-200 aircraft which is configured to carry 12 passengers in first, 26 in business and 164 in economy class, a total of 202 passengers.

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