The Hindu Business Line : Etihad Airways to launch Delhi-Abu Dhabi flight in Dec

INTERNATIONAL air travellers from North India will soon have another option of flying to Europe, especially the UK. Etihad Airways, the national airlines of the United Arab Emirates, is to start a three-times-a-week service on the Abu Dhabi-Delhi sector from December 1 this year.

The new flight is to operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. On Fridays and Sundays, the flight will leave Abu Dhabi at 11.50 a.m. and arrive in Delhi at 4.15 p.m. while on Wednesdays, the flight will leave at 3.10 a.m. and arrive in Delhi at 7.35 a.m.

In the return direction, the flight will leave Delhi at 5.30 p.m. on Fridays and Sundays and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 7.55 p.m. Similarly, on Wednesdays, the flight will leave Delhi at 8.55 a.m. and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 11.20 a.m.

The Etihad Area General Manager, South-East Asia, Mr Charles Phelps-Penry, told Business Line that the new flight, which is to be operated with a 225-seater Airbus A-330 aircraft, would offer major connections to passengers to London. Airline officials indicated that a passenger taking the flight would be able to connect to a flight to London within 90 minutes of reaching Abu Dhabi.

The airline is working on launching various promotional offers to coincide with the proposed launch of the Delhi flight.

Sources indicated that the airline was examining the option of a `companion free' offer for passengers purchasing a business or first class ticket for the soon-to-be-launched Delhi flight. The scheme, which is likely to be open for a limited period, will allow a passenger to take along a companion free of cost.

Delhi will be the second destination in India to which the airline is schedule to start operations. In September , the airline started operating seven flights a week to Mumbai with an Airbus A-330 aircraft.

The launch of the Delhi flight will see the airline complete the number of flights that Etihad can operate under the current air services bilateral.

The airline is also evaluating the option of operating more flights during the limited `open-sky' offer period of the Government.