Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways is set to start a new service to Hyderabad in India as part of its winter 2009-10 schedule. The new winter flying programme starts on October 25.
The flying programme is set to grow almost 15 per cent larger by January 2010 than the same period last year with 950 flights planned to operate each week, a company release said.
The new flights to Hyderabad from November 2009 will join the airline’s newest routes to Chicago and Cape Town while there will be additional services to Athens, Istanbul, Beirut, Cairo, and Kathmandu.
Etihad Airways chief executive James Hogan said, “The winter programme demonstrates our commitment to provide greater depth to the Etihad Airways global flight network. The increased frequencies will provide air travelers with a greater choice of flights into and out of Abu Dhabi and better connectivity with the rest of our network.”
Etihad will take delivery of three new A320 aircraft during the winter period which will support the frequency increases to short and medium haul destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
“Etihad’s fleet growth is an integral part of the airline’s network expansion and the new narrow-body A320 planes, which will be delivered during winter, will be put to good use,” Mr. Hogan added.
The airline’s Asian flying programme will be boosted with an increased number of flights to Kathmandu from four per week to a daily service, in a move aimed at providing greater flight options to European air travelers.
Among the highlights of the schedule are increased flights to Etihad’s new Mediterranean destinations of Athens and Istanbul. Flights to the Greek capital will rise from three per week to five from November 1 and then will ply daily from January 1, 2010.
Istanbul flights will increase from four flights a week to five from November 1. The additional flights will provide more choice for people traveling to and from Abu Dhabi and a greater number of weekly connections to Melbourne and Sydney.
