Etihad Airways Announces Expanded Flight Schedules and New Routes for Summer 2025
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, has recently unveiled its ambitious plans for the summer 2025 schedule, focusing on increasing flight frequencies and expanding its network. The airline aims to enhance its service offerings to key destinations, ensuring more comprehensive global connectivity and improved schedule flexibility tailored to the needs of both business and leisure travelers.
Starting in July 2025, Etihad plans to increase the frequency of flights between Abu Dhabi and Sydney from seven to ten flights per week. This enhancement will introduce double flights on three additional days per week, providing passengers with more travel options. Moreover, the airline is set to launch a new daily service connecting Abu Dhabi with Denpasar in Bali, which underscores its commitment to expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
In Europe, Etihad is significantly boosting its operations by transitioning many of its routes to a double daily service for the first time. This upgrade will include cities such as Paris, Milan, Rome, Manchester, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Barcelona, and Madrid. The airline is also increasing its seasonal flights to Malaga, Spain, to five times per week. These enhancements will offer travelers more convenient morning and evening departures and arrivals, thus providing greater flexibility and optimizing travel schedules to suit passenger needs.
Strategic Enhancements and Commitment to Passenger Convenience
Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways, emphasized the airline’s strategic focus on serving key destinations with twice-daily flights as swiftly as possible. “Our summer schedule is a testament to our commitment to growth and to further bolstering tourism in Abu Dhabi,” he stated. Aligning with this strategy, the new flight schedules are designed to facilitate optimal hotel check-out times and early check-ins, allowing passengers to maximize their stay in Abu Dhabi or their destination cities.
For business travelers, the new flight timings are structured to accommodate full working days at both the beginning and end of their trips, ensuring a seamless integration with their professional commitments. This strategic scheduling reaffirms Etihad’s commitment to providing exceptional travel experiences, aligning flight times with the preferences and requirements of its diverse clientele.
Future Growth and IPO Prospects
Amidst these expansions, there is growing speculation about Etihad Airways preparing for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) by 2025. This potential IPO, set to be the first among major Gulf airlines, represents a significant milestone in Middle Eastern aviation. Sources close to the process suggest that the decision to target a 2025 IPO date is based on allowing a full evaluation of the airline’s financial performance in 2024, alongside considerations of the geopolitical climate that may affect market conditions.
Under its ambitious “Journey 2030” strategy, Etihad is not only aiming to enhance Abu Dhabi’s role as a global travel hub but is also planning extensive expansion across its network. By 2030, the airline targets serving over 125 airports, up from the current 70, and expanding its fleet from 103 to over 160 aircraft. This strategic growth will involve incorporating both Boeing and Airbus aircraft, strengthening its operational capabilities and service excellence.