Dubai: Etihad Airways will stop all flights from Abu Dhabi to Perth and Edinburgh effective late 2018, years after the West Australia and Scotland routes were launched, it has been announced.
The Abu Dhabi-based carrier said it has decided that effective October 1, 2018, it will suspend daily services on the two destinations, as part of an ongoing review of its operations.
Tourist numbers in Western Australia have reportedly been on a decline.
Etihad is the second Gulf airline to announce new flight cancellations this month. Emirates confirmed on Wednesday that it is reducing flight frequencies on at least six routes, including those in the United States, Asia and Europe.
In an advisory for its customers, Etihad said it is dropping the Perth and Edinburgh routes, as part of an ongoing review of network performance. “[The route cancellation} is one of several adjustments that we are making to our network in 2018 in order to improve system profitability.”
The airline, however, pointed out that it remains committed to serve destinations in Australia and the United Kingdom, as it continues to operate flights from Abu Dhabi to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, London Heathrow and Manchester, considered to be major markets for the company.
Customers that will be affected by the suspension of flights will be contacted, although they’re also advised to get in touch with their travel agent or the airline’s contact centre, to know more about their flight rebooking options.
Etihad’s first service to Perth kicked off in July 2014, while the Edinburgh route was launched in June 2015.
According to official figures released in March 2018, tourism statistics for Western Australia have dropped in 2017, with visitor spend falling by 4.7 per cent and total tourist numbers by 3.3 per cent.
