Etihad Airways has celebrated 20 years of direct flights between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow, one of their most popular routes.
This anniversary was celebrated on March 28, when the first flights operated into the airport back in 2004.
Without further ado, let’s get into it…
20 Years of Abu Dhabi to London Flights…
The first flights between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow with Etihad Airways took place on March 28, 2004.
Furthermore, such flights started out on a thrice-weekly basis using their Airbus A340 aircraft.
Commenting on the milestone was Jeremy Pollock, Etihad Airways’ UK & Ireland Country Manager:
“Introducing flights from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi was a key part of the airline’s strategy following the carrier’s launch in 2003.
“To celebrate 20 years since our inaugural flight is a fantastic achievement for everyone connected with Etihad Airways – especially our dedicated workforce across the UK and Ireland.
“Etihad now operates four daily flights from London, highlighting the strong demand among UK-based customers to explore Abu Dhabi and the Middle East following a flight travelling in style and comfort, looked after by our excellent, award-winning cabin crew.”
Adding to this was Henry Naya, Etihad Airways Airport Manager London Heathrow:
“We were in our infancy at that point, operating A340s. Everything was new, but we also realised we were onto something special and it was very exciting.
“Other airlines around the Gulf were starting to take off and we could feel we were the next one. There was so much energy around the launch and we ran on adrenalin for that first year.
“I’m not surprised to be here 20 years later because we are ahead of the curve again and looking forward to the next challenges.”
The Airline’s Operation on the Route Currently…
Nowadays, Etihad Airways operates up to four daily flights between Abu Dhabi and London.
It shows exactly how popular the route is when it is being served up to 28 times per week.
On top of this, the mixture of those flights are operated using their Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 aircraft too.
So in 20 years, you can see exactly the level of growth that has been experienced on this route.
Overall…
In conclusion, it remains clear that the Abu Dhabi to London flights with Etihad Airways remain popular.
Looking ahead, all eyes will be on what the next 20 years will look like for this particular service.
It will be interesting to see what additional growth there will be on the route from the 28 times weekly service.
But for now, let’s see how things get on for the airline in the Summer 2024 season.
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