Etihad Airways is awaiting government approval to start flying to Malé, the capital of the Maldives.
The United Arab Emirates carrier plans to start a daily service on November 1 from Abu Dhabi using an Airbus A320 aircraft on the route, configured with two cabins and offering 1,904 seats each week.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said: Malé is gateway to the premium leisure destination, the Maldive Islands, and given the strong increase in visitation numbers we are seeing in the market, the time is right to launch services to this popular holiday destination”
“We expect the services will appeal to UAE leisure travellers, as well as customers from our major European markets, particularly with the strong connectivity options on offer and following the additional frequencies that will come online on a number of our key European routes this summer,” he said.
“Etihad’s schedule, which offers an attractive afternoon arrival and evening departure, has been carefully designed to offer customers maximum leisure time at their destination. In fact, European travellers can take advantage of our overnight flights in both directions, offering them a full extra day in the Maldives.”
Etihad Holidays will be offering a range of packages to suit all budgets, including bespoke trips for honeymooners or families, sun worshippers or divers. Malé will become the 67th destination on Etihad’s global network.