A direct flight to Abu Dhabi will be launched this autumn

From 21 October, Etihad Airways will launch a direct flight service between Luxembourg and Abu Dhabi. Flights will operate four times a week: on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Departure from Luxembourg Airport is scheduled for approximately 09:30, with arrival at Zayed International Airport at around 19:00. The airline will operate this route using brand-new Airbus A321 narrow-body aircraft, each with a capacity of 160 seats. To provide an informal preview of the new route, the airline has temporarily converted one of Luxembourg City’s cafés into an Etihad-branded lounge to give potential customers a first taste of the level of service.

At the same time, the airline’s management is confident that there will be strong demand for the new route. According to the carrier’s Commercial Director for Europe, Antonio Panariello, Luxembourg offers significant market potential. The company’s strategy is based not only on serving passengers from the Greater Region travelling for leisure or business, but also on attracting tourists from the UAE wishing to visit the Grand Duchy.

In addition to Abu Dhabi’s appeal as a tourist and business destination, the emirate’s airport serves as a major transit hub for onward travel to countries in Asia, Africa and Australia. Passengers will be able to take advantage of a stopover programme, allowing them to spend a few days in the UAE before continuing their journey. Panariello emphasised that Etihad offers an extensive network of connecting flights to Thailand, including popular destinations such as Bangkok and Phuket, as well as routes to Chiang Mai and Krabi . Against the backdrop of the launch of new flights from Europe, the airline is continuing its course of active global expansion: by autumn, five new routes to China and six to African countries will be added to the schedule. In the long term, the carrier intends to roughly double its current fleet, which numbers just over 120 aircraft, bringing it up to 250 aircraft.