Etihad Airways has announced that it will start flying to Copenhagen and Düsseldorf later this year, thereby adding two European destinations on its network.
Entry in Denmark
Starting 1st October 2023, Etihad Airways will operate four-flights-a-week between Abu Dhabi International Airport and Copenhagen Airport with the following schedule:
- Abu Dhabi-Copenhagen
- Departure time: 02:35
- Arrival time: 07:20
- Flight time: 6 hours and 45 minutes
- Flight number: EY61
- Frequency: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
- Copenhagen-Abu Dhabi
- Departure time: 10:30
- Arrival time: 18:50
- Flight time: 6 hours and 20 minutes
- Flight number: EY62
- Frequency: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
3rd city in Germany
As of 1st October 2023, the airline will also start flying between Abu Dhabi International Airport and Düsseldorf International Airport. The flights will operate three-times-a-week with the following timings:
- Abu Dhabi-Düsseldorf
- Departure time: 02:35
- Arrival time: 07:30
- Flight time: 6 hours and 55 minutes
- Flight number: EY39
- Frequency: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays
- Düsseldorf-Abu Dhabi
- Departure time: 10:30
- Arrival time: 19:00
- Flight time: 6 hours and 30 minutes
- Flight number: EY40
- Frequency: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays
These flights will be operated by Boeing B787-9 Dreamliners featuring 28 Business Class seats and 262 standard Economy Class seats.
We are thrilled to start flying to Denmark for the first time and to expand our network in Germany to our third city, providing guests with more holiday options and easier access between Abu Dhabi and Europe. Our new flights will take off for the winter season — the perfect time for guests to escape the cold and enjoy Abu Dhabi’s beautiful beaches, world-class entertainment and rich heritage — and also ideal for travellers choosing to experience the unique allure of Europe in the winter. With our network expanding to 66 cities, there are even more must-see destinations to plan your next great adventure with Etihad Airways.
said Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways.
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Visitors flying to Europe can look forward to discovering Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Scandinavia, famous for its colourful canals, café culture and attractions including Tivoli Gardens, the oldest amusement park in the world.
Etihad is making a comeback at Düsseldorf Airport. Düsseldorf will be the airline’s third city in Germany after Frankfurt and Munich, both currently served with daily flights. The city lies on the banks of the Rhine River and is renowned for its world-class shopping and thriving arts, fashion and music scene.
66 destinations strong
Etihad has gone through a lot in the past years. Once growing with big ambitions, the airline had to scale back its plans and operations due to financial troubles caused by heavy losses. The airline is now on the path of “reinventing” itself with positive signs coming already as the carrier reported a profit recently after many years of losing money.
With Boeing B787-9 aircraft, the airline has been able to launch and operate “niche” routes. While Copenhagen and Düsseldorf may not be niche routes, they are certainly “an experiment” for Etihad. (Düsseldorf may not be a new route for the airline but the times and demand have certainly changed).
The flights’ timings suggest that they are mainly targeted at connecting passengers to/from Asia, Australia and African markets as one would expect from a hub-and-spoke airline.
Both Emirates and Qatar Airways, the fiercest rivals of Etihad Airways, operate flights to Copenhagen and Düsseldorf, so Etihad will certainly have a hard time building these new markets but given Etihad’s reach, it may not be that tough.
Overall, it’s good to see Etihad once again expanding its wings and let’s hope more and more cities join the Etihad network.
Meanwhile, Etihad recently announced that it will go double-daily on Bangkok route.
Featured image by Etihad Airways
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