Etihad to start direct Abu Dhabi-Beijing service

Dubai - UAE flag carrier becomes only airline in Mena to operate non-stop passenger flights departing from both China's capital and Shanghai

Etihad Airways will commence another service to China with flights from Beijing to Abu Dhabi from December 7, operating a weekly flight using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The UAE flag carrier resumed services between Abu Dhabi and Shanghai in late July this year, which has helped meet the large demand from travellers in the UAE, China and other countries in the Middle East, Europe and Africa. With the second weekly flight added to Etihad’s global network, the airline becomes the only carrier in the Mena region to operate non-stop passenger flights departing from both Shanghai and Beijing.

Martin Drew, senior vice-president for sales and cargo at Etihad Aviation Group, said: “China continues to be a strategically important market for Etihad and resuming an additional passenger route connecting China with Abu Dhabi is a welcome development. Being granted the rights to operate the second weekly flight by the Chinese government was huge recognition of the unrelenting joint efforts by the airline, testing institutions in the UAE and the authorities in both countries, in the battle against Covid-19."

“Etihad is tremendously grateful for the support of the authorities, its customers and partners, and its employees in these most challenging of times, and Etihad stands ready to fly more frequently to China when possible.”

As a mid-sized, full-service carrier, Etihad will continue to follow this positioning. The airline will strengthen its focus on its core values of safety, security and service, and will continue developing its industry-leading Etihad Wellness health and hygiene programme, prioritising innovation and sustainability, which are essential to the future of the airline.

Important notice

All guests travelling from Abu Dhabi to China must meet Etihad testing requirements according to their UAE residency status. Testing requirements can be seen at etihad.com/destinationguide. Passengers must have a Covid-19 PCR test and IgM test before a flight, and testing requirements differ for UAE residents and non-UAE residents.

— business@khaleejtimes.com