Etihad to add flights to India

3 September, 2007:

Abu Dhabi-based airline, Etihad, plans to add flights to eight cities in India.

The airline, which is besieged by an inter-government bilateral air treaty to operate just 28 flights a week from the UAE to India, hopes that the situation changes soon. The airline officials have reportedly informed the Indian government that there is a huge demand for flights between India’s emerging cities and the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

If things work out well, the airline would operate flights from Abu Dhabi to Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kozhikode, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Jaipur and Kolkata. Etihad currently operates daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai and New Delhi and three flights per week to Thiruvananthapuram and four to Kochi. From October 2007, Eithad will increase daily flights to its two Kerala routes, bringing the number of weekly services from Abu Dhabi to India to its ceiling of 28 flights.

The airline had in May 2007 expanded its presence in India by starting flights from Abu Dhabi to Thiruvananthapuram. The launch prices for the Thiruvananthapuram flights started from Rs 13,680 for return economy class, Rs 27,060 for business class and Rs 43,450 for first class.

The airline also started its services to its Kochi, its second Kerala destination, on June 2, 2007.