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BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
15 June, 2005, Paris: Etihad Airways, the national Airline of the United Arab Emirates has launched flights to Frankfurt, with EY325 taking off from Abu Dhabi as scheduled. This non-stop daily flight comes just a year after Etihad Airways launched its Abu Dhabi-Munich route in May 2004.
According to Etihad Chairman H.E. Dr. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saif Al Nahyan, "The launch of this new route to Frankfurt marks yet another significant milestone since we launched the airline in 2003, further strengthening the bond between the UAE and Germany, with whom we have had a long standing relationship in terms of business and leisure travel." The Etihad Airways chairman is also Chairman of the Civil Aviation Department in Abu Dhabi.
"We are confident that the launch of Etihad's new route to Frankfurt will facilitate even more opportunities in investment, tourism and commerce. It also reflects our commitment to place our guests at the core of our development strategy by offering them greater flexibility and facilitating easier access for travel between the two major hubs," he added.
"The commencement of Etihad's direct operations to Munich and now Frankfurt will further strengthen the ties between our countries. Germany and the United Arab Emirates are strategic partners. I very much welcome this strategic move as it will especially encourage more German tourists to come to Abu Dhabi," said Mr Jurgen Steltzer, the German Ambassador to the UAE.
Flights to Germany are considered very important for Etihad Airways. Germany is a strategic market for both inbound and outbound tourism. Trade between the UAE and Germany has doubled in the last five years and continues to grow in excess of 10 per cent each year. In addition, the UAE is becoming increasingly popular as a holiday destination for German leisure tourists.
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
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