Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways said on Thursday it will launch six new routes in the first half of 2015 offering travellers more connection choices.

Daily flights will commence to Madrid (Spain), Edinburgh (Scotland), Kolkata (India), and Entebbe (Uganda), the airline said in a statement, adding that it will also operate four flights a week to Hong Kong, and three flights a week to Algiers (Algeria).

Additionally, Etihad’s existing daily flights to Brisbane (Australia), currently operated via Singapore, will become a direct service from June 2015. The route will be operated using a three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Further service upgrades in June 2015 include the introduction of a three-class Airbus A330-300 aircraft on daily flights to Singapore, and a three-class Boeing 787-0 Dreamliner on daytime flights to Moscow.

“The expansion will also create new opportunities to enhance our codeshare agreements and align operations with key airline partners, such as Virgin Australia, Jet Airways, Air Seychelles, Air Europa, and Kenya Airways,” stated James Hogan, president and CEO of Etihad Airways.

Further, the first of next year will also see the airline’s global passenger and cargo network increasing to 107 destinations following the route expansion. The total includes five new routes already launched this year to Madina, Jaipur, Zurich, Los Angeles, and Yerevan. There will also be four upcoming services to Perth, Rome, Phuket, and Dallas, which commence over the rest of 2014.

Etihad will also continue to increase frequencies on existing services in H1 2015, with network depth to be added to key markets across North America, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent regions.