Etihad to fly daily to Perth
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Etihad Airways will launch flights to Perth next year.
Commencing on 15 July 2014, the new service will operate daily, direct from Abu Dhabi, using a 262-seat, two-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Perth will become Etihad’s fourth destination in Australia, following Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
The new flights will be the first non-stop services between Western Australia and Abu Dhabi.
“The new services… will cater to the growing demand for travel between these two points and beyond to Africa, the Middle East and Europe,” said Etihad’s president & CEO, James Hogan.
“Our analysis shows there is a significant business opportunity on the Perth route. Overseas visitor numbers are growing at a steady rate of around 7% overall – with several markets to which we fly – such as Germany, France, Italy and Ireland – recording an increase in visitor numbers of between 8.5% and approximately 30% in the 2012-13 financial year. Significantly, arrivals from the Middle East grew at more than 104% over the same period.
“Western Australians, too, are travelling overseas in increasingly large numbers with an average annual growth rate of 8.5% over the past three years.
“Our flights are timed to offer travellers the convenience of daily departures and seamless connectivity to our global network over the Abu Dhabi hub,” Hogan added.
The new service will also expand Etihad’s partnership with Virgin Australia. The Abu Dhabi-based airline currently codeshares with Virgin Australia on routes to 14 Western Australian destinations.
The new flights will leave Abu Dhabi at 2210, arriving in Perth at 1310 the following day. The return service will depart at 1555, getting back into Abu Dhabi at 2325.
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