Etihad makes top European holiday spot year-round after surge in bookings

Dubai: Etihad Airways will operate its new Abu Dhabi service to Gothenburg year-round, extending the route just three weeks after bookings opened after what the airline described as exceptional demand from both ends.

The first Abu Dhabi-Gothenburg flight is scheduled for December 17, 2026.

The service was initially announced as a winter route running from December 17, 2026 to March 21, 2027. It will now continue through the Swedish summer, giving UAE travellers a new direct option for visiting Sweden's west coast.

The route will operate four times a week from December 17 using Etihad's Airbus A321LR.

Etihad said bookings have come from both western Sweden and its wider global network. Gothenburg is the fifteenth new destination Etihad has launched in 2026, in a year that has added cities across Europe, Asia and Africa.

Arik De, Etihad Airways Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, said the airline had underestimated demand for the route.

“Three weeks in, the market has told us we underestimated Gothenburg, and we are glad to be corrected.”

He said the strength of demand before the first flight has given Etihad confidence to make the route year-round.

Under the original schedule, the route would have ended before the summer season began.

For UAE travellers, the year-round service also provides direct access to Gothenburg beyond the winter period, while passengers can connect through Abu Dhabi to destinations including Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Singapore, Hanoi, Bali, Shanghai, Taipei, Bengaluru and Colombo.

Passengers connecting through Abu Dhabi can also use Etihad's Abu Dhabi Stopover programme, which offers up to two complimentary hotel nights.

Mats Johannesson, CEO of Swedavia Airports, said the decision to extend the service within three weeks showed the appetite in western Sweden for direct connections to Abu Dhabi and Etihad's wider network.