Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is celebrating 20 years of flying to India this month.
Etihad launched flights to the commercial capital of India, Mumbai, on the 26 September 2004, quickly followed by New Delhi on 1 December 2004.
Etihad’s network significantly expanded over the subsequent decades, and following the addition of flights to Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Jaipur earlier this year, Etihad now flies to 11 gateways in India.
Etihad has also expanded seat capacity between Abu Dhabi and India this year with additional flight frequencies to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
Etihad is now operating more than 50 extra flights per week to India, compared to last summer, providing more convenient departure timings and therefore more flexibility with onward connections.
Antonoaldo Neves, chief executive officer, Etihad Airways, said: “India is a strategically important market for Etihad and we’re extremely proud to be celebrating 20 years of flying to this incredible country.
“When the young and ambitious Etihad launched flights to Mumbai in 2004, it was Etihad’s 8th global destination and since then we’ve expanded to 80 destinations with a vision to offer 125 destinations by 2030.
“This year, we are proud to offer Indian travellers a greater number of flight options from 11 gateways across India making Etihad the leading airline for connectivity for Indian travellers to the Middle East, Europe and North America.”
