Etihad Airways to launch Expanded Summer Schedule

Air travellers can look forward to a greater choice of Etihad Airways services and improved flight connections, with a new summer flying programme set to be launched on 30 March which will be 47% larger than the same period last year.

The Abu Dhabi-based carrier will operate a total of 728 weekly flights this summer compared to 494 in the same season last year, with the launch of new services to Beijing in China on 30 March and Calicut in India in June being the highlights of the summer schedule.

In addition to the two new routes, Etihad Airways will increase the frequency of its flights to a number of key destinations within the GCC, Middle East, Europe, Indian sub-continent, Africa and the Asia Pacific region.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways' chief executive, said, "In addition to the new Beijing service, Etihad will offer air travellers from around the world significantly improved connection opportunities through our Abu Dhabi home base as we continue to add breadth, depth and additional frequency to the airline's expanding global route network.

"We're not just improving the quantity of flights but, importantly, also the quality of connections. The number of onward transfers which can now be made in less than two hours will increase by 21%, while connections which can be made within two to three hours will increase by a further 13%."

Etihad's strong network across the Middle East will be strengthened further this summer, with extra weekly services from Abu Dhabi to Amman (six flights at present to 10), Beirut (eight to 11) and Damascus (six to 10).

Within Europe, flights to the Irish capital of Dublin will increase from six flights a week to a daily service from 30 March.

Etihad's flying programme to the North African destinations of Cairo and Khartoum will be boosted further this summer, with flights to the Egyptian capital increasing from 10 flights a week to 12 and to the Sudanese capital from four flights a week to five.

Within the Indian sub-continent, Etihad's summer schedule for 2008 will see the airline's existing 13 flights a week service to Karachi in Pakistan boosted to a twice-daily service.

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