Abu Dhabi: UAE’s national carrier Etihad Airways unveiled its summer 2025 schedule, with a double-daily debut on many top European destinations. The new schedule is now open for booking and offers increased flight frequencies and convenient 2 pm departures to many European destinations, the airline said in a statement.
Etihad Airways is boosting its services to popular European destinations, offering year-round double-daily flights between Abu Dhabi and major cities such as Paris, Milan, Rome, Manchester, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Barcelona, and Madrid. Additionally, seasonal flights to Malaga will increase to five times per week. Flights to Bali will be upgraded daily after massive customer demand and Sydney flights will grow to 10 per week.
Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer at Etihad Airways, said, “We are delivering on our strategic promise to serve more key destinations twice daily as fast as we can, and our summer schedule underscores our commitment to growth and further supporting tourism in Abu Dhabi.” The new daily European flights are conveniently timed for morning and evening departures and arrivals.
De added, “By aligning our schedule to offer 2 pm departures from Abu Dhabi, we provide guests with convenient check-out times from their hotels, allowing them to make the most of their stay in our beautiful city.”
Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Etihad Airways plans to make its stock market debut by 2025. Etihad, owned by Abu Dhabi wealth fund ADQ, had considered listing this year, reported Reuters citing unnamed sources. However, it wants to present investors with 2024 financial results that will show a strong performance, one of the people said. Another person said that geopolitical instability in the region has also weighed on timing.
In response to the Reuters report, the airline told Gulf News, "Etihad does not comment on rumour or speculation."
Last month, the airline reported a 48 per cent increase in half-year after-tax profit, with passenger numbers rising 38 per cent to 8.7 million. That followed full-year net profits in 2022 and 2023. In previous interviews with Gulf News, Etihad officials have consistently refrained from confirming any plans for a potential IPO. CEO Antonoaldo Neves acknowledged that airlines are highly capital-intensive and could benefit from going public.
However, he said, “In the end, IPO is not a destination. We are not here to IPO Etihad. The management is here to make sure we deliver the shareholders' mandate, which is to deliver extraordinary results. Also, the decision to IPO an airline belongs to the shareholders, not the management.”
