Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has commenced services to South Korea, operating from Abu Dhabi to Seoul's Incheon Airport.
Seoul becomes Etihad's 65th destination on the network in just seven years of operations, the airline said in a statement.
Inaugural flight EY876 departed Abu Dhabi at 10.45pm yesterday and will arrive at Incheon at 12.05pm today (local time).
Etihad will operate a daily A330-200 three-class service, offering 2,800 seats each week on the route.
The new services will operate under an Etihad Airways (EY) and Asiana (OZ) flight code, following the code sharing agreement signed between the two airlines in October.
Etihad's Chief Executive Officer James Hogan said in the statement: "South Korea… has been a target destination for us for some time. There is a strong relationship between South Korea and the UAE, built over a 40-year history of bilateral trade relationships between the countries.
"We are confident this new route will be a success for both our passenger and cargo operations, and we look forward to facilitating business and leisure traffic between the two countries."
South Korea is emerging as a key trading partner for the UAE, with Korean companies maintaining a strong presence in the UAE, particularly in the energy sector, construction and technology, and more than 5,000 Koreans are living and working here.
Mohammad Al Maainah, UAE Ambassador to South Korea, said: "The UAE is continuing to build relationships with South Korea across a number of industries including energy, construction and infrastructure.
"Etihad's commencement of services will also see a real focus on building a partnership in tourism and travel — which is of great benefit to both nations."
