After its successful launching of daily services from Chennai and Kozhikode to Abu Dhabi from this month, Etihad Airways, the state-owned company of the government of UAE, has secured flying rights to two further cities in Kolkata and Jaipur by early 2009.
Subject to future governmental approvals, the state carrier plans to secure further traffic rights from Abu Dhabi to the cities of Ahmedabad, Amristar, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.
Speaking in Chennai to mark the announcement of new flights, James Hogan, Etihad Airways chief executive said, ” Etihad is proud to continue its expansion of destinations and services within India, with the demand from customers travelling from Chennai and Kozhikode growing by the day.” Etihad now operates 41 flights a week from the UAE to India, with flights from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai and New Delhi.
The airline now operates a total of 728 weekly flights compared to 494 in the same season last year. Etihad offers flights to 48 destinations in Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.