LONDON – Etihad Airways continues its European push with the announcement of new flights between Abu Dhabi and Lisbon.
Effective July 2, this route will operate on a thrice-weekly basis, with aircraft equipment to be confirmed at this stage.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays will be the days on which the route will operate.
Neves: Etihad’s First Flights to Portugal…
Commenting on this new route was Etihad Airways’ CEO Antonoaldo Neves, who expressed excitement over this route launch:
“We’re excited to introduce flights to Portugal for the first time and provide our guests with convenient travel options to one of the most popular summer destinations for 2023″.
“As one of the oldest cities in Western Europe, the coastal city of Lisbon is a great entry-point to exploring the rest of the country, with perfect beaches, historic castles, fantastic nightlife, and warm and welcoming people.”
“Our new direct connection will enhance the trade and tourism ties between the UAE and Portugal, and we are grateful for the support of the Portuguese authorities in establishing our new air link.”
Not Just Lisbon For Etihad Airways…
As well as the new service to Lisbon, Etihad Airways will be returning to Malaga on a twice-weekly basis from June 18.
On top of this, the airline will be returning to Mykonos in Greece, effective from June 16, on a twice-weekly basis as well.
With the three routes of Lisbon, Mykonos, and Malaga, this means that Etihad will operate nearly 160 weekly flights to 21 destinations across Europe in the Summer 2023 season.
The airline was also keen to note that there will be 20% more seats on offer compared to 2022, signifying the fleet growth and reactivations that have been taking place.
Heavy Demand To Fill in Summer 2023…
Route additions such as Lisbon as well as returns to other destinations in Europe, shows that Etihad Airways has a lot of demand to fill.
An example of this is through an announcement made back in December, when they revealed that they will be reactivating their A380s in time for the Summer.
Etihad will reintroduce four of its A380s in time for the busy period, with the understanding that all four will be allocated to the Abu Dhabi-Heathrow rotation.
On top of this, Etihad will be adding five of its smaller A320 aircraft to help support the network with other routes in the network.
Overall…
It remains clear that Etihad Airways is definitely taking advantage of the anticipated high level of demand expected this Summer.
The focus on a destination such as Lisbon as a Summer getaway will no doubt encourage travelers to head in that direction over the busy period.
With the airline also reactivating its A380s, it shows that Etihad Airways has a busy year ahead for them.
All eyes will be on the carrier to see how they perform over the course of the year and whether its post-COVID woes are behind them.
