ETIHAD AIRWAYS has brought forward the introduction of its services from Gatwick to Wednesday 1 September.
Initially the airline will fly to Abu Dhabi three times weekly but from the start of the winter services at the end of October these will be stepped up to seven departures a week from Gatwick and eight from Heathrow. An Airbus A330 will operate the new route.
The addition of the new flights is part of the airline's ongoing expansion, which includes plans to operate to 17 destinations by the end of the year. Other routes currently offered by Etihad are Beirut, Damascus, Amman, Colombo and Bangkok.
The airline points out that Abu Dhabi is an alternative to the massive Dubai International Airport for tourists visiting the popular Dubai beach resorts.
Etihad also announced that it would go Rolls-Royce for its A340 aircraft noted in last week's ABTN.
http://www.etihadairways.com