Abu Dhabi's Etihad launches service to Lisbon
The service will be operated on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft
Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi-headquartered Etihad Airways touched down for the first time in Lisbon on Sunday, marking the launch of regular services between the emirate and the Portuguese capital.
The new service will be operated on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, offering 28 seats in Business and 262 seats in Economy.
The inaugural flight, EY63, was celebrated at Abu Dhabi airport before take-off with Fernando d’Orey de Brito e Cunha Figueirinhas, Ambassador of the Republic of Portugal to the UAE, and Chris Hedlin, Etihad’s Vice President Network Planning.
On arrival in Lisbon, Etihad’s captains waved UAE and Portuguese flags from the cockpit to celebrate the new air link.
Antonoaldo Neves, CEO, Etihad Airways, said: “As we continue to expand our global network, we’re thrilled to be flying for the first time to Lisbon. We look forward to welcoming guests to visit the historic city of Lisbon while also connecting the people of Portugal with the UAE and destinations across the Middle East, Asia and Australia.”
Initially announced as a seasonal route, Etihad Airways has extended the service through to the winter season to make it a year-round operation, as a result of strong travel demand.
The inaugural flight to Lisbon coincides with the launch of Etihad’s summer season flights to the Greek island of Mykonos which commenced on June 16 and Málaga on June 18.