Etihad Airways commences daily Flights from Abu Dhabi to Washington D.C

Karachi, April 02, 2013 (PPI-OT): Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, has commenced non-stop daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Washington, D.C., creating the first direct air link between the two capitals. The new service to Washington Dulles International Airport has been introduced to meet strong demand for government and business travel, as well as growing demand for leisure trips between and beyond the cities.

“Government and corporate customers in both markets have given us strong indication that the Abu Dhabi – Washington route can support a daily service from day one. We have confidently responded by committing 3,360 seats per week and already our forward bookings on the route are very encouraging in both directions. In addition, we will open a US$6.8 million premium lounge this week in Terminal A at Dulles Airport to benefit our Diamond First and Pearl Business Class passengers,” James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said.

Flight EY131 departs Abu Dhabi International Airport at 10:00am each day for the 15 hour journey to Washington, D.C., the fourth North American destination for Etihad Airways after New York, Chicago and Toronto. To date, Etihad Airways has carried almost two million passengers between Abu Dhabi and North America, achieving 12.6 per cent growth in passenger numbers last year. Etihad Airways offers 31 weekly flights to Abu Dhabi from Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and twice a week from Peshawar. Travellers from Pakistan will have direct flights to Washington DC via Abu Dhabi, the airline’s home-base.

Etihad Airways serves the Abu Dhabi – Washington, D.C., route with ultra-long range Airbus A340-500 aircraft, seating 240 passengers in a spacious three-class cabin – 12 in Diamond First, 28 in Pearl Business and 200 in Coral Economy Class.

For more information, contact:
Etihad Airways
309, the Forum,
Kehkashan Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan
Toll Free: 00800 900 440 17
Fax: +9221 3530 1321
Web: www.etihadairways.com