Northstar

www.travelweeklyweb.com www.travelweeklyweb.com 8 | ■ TRAVELWeekly AsiA | March 2014 Airlines ABU DHABI – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will increase the frequency of its Abu Dhabi – Chengdu service from five-flights-a-week to daily from 30 March 2014. As one of the biggest markets in China for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Chengdu has emerged as a leading economic, transportation and communication centre for the Asian country, with nearly half of the world's Fortune 500 companies having operations in the city. Etihad Airways launched its Chengdu service on 15 December 2011, offering the first and only direct airline connection between the UAE and China's Sichuan province, home to a population of over 80 million. It is the third city to be served by Etihad Airways in China, with daily flights also operated to the capital, Beijing, and the country's largest city by population, Shanghai. Passenger volumes on the Chengdu route increased by 25 per cent last year compared to 2012 levels, while cargo and mail volumes were 19 per cent higher. The flights are operated using a two-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft with 22 Pearl Business class and 240 Coral Economy class seats. James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: "With consistent double-digit growth in passenger and cargo volumes, Chengdu represents a great opportunity. Operating a daily service will provide our guests with even more convenient service to Abu Dhabi as well as key markets in the GCC, Middle East, North Africa and Europe. In addition, our expanded service will further stimulate economic growth between China and the UAE." The move will increase the airline's connectivity from United Arab Emirates to China and Thailand. Etihad Airways will soon be flying direct Abu Dhabi to Chengdu and Phuket. Etihad Airways announces two new routes In addition, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will expand its network in South East Asia with the launch of a non-stop daily service between Abu Dhabi and Phuket from 26 October 2014 using two-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft, with 22 Pearl Business seats and 240 Coral Economy seats. The flights have been scheduled to provide optimal connectivity between Phuket and key markets across Europe and the GCC. Phuket will become the second destination in Thailand to be served by Etihad Airways, and the seventh in South East Asia, alongside Bangkok, Singapore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta. "We have a very successful track record in Thailand. The capital city, Bangkok, has ranked as our most popular route for the past four years, with 742,759 passengers flown in 2013 alone. Expanding our reach in the country with a daily service to Phuket is therefore natural progression." said James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, "The island is a strong addition to Etihad Airways' leisure portfolio and we will offer attractive arrival and departure times, with seamless connections to 25 European and GCC cities. This includes daily connections from London, Manchester, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich and Paris, in addition to key GCC markets such as Bahrain, Doha, Muscat, Kuwait and Riyadh." Besides Chengdu and Phuket, Etihad Airways has announced several other new routes for 2014. Services to Medina have commenced on 1 February, and will be followed by Jaipur (1 April), Los Angeles (1 June), Zurich (1 June), Yerevan (2 July), Rome (15 July), Perth (15 July), Phuket (26 October) and Dallas (3 December).

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