Etihad Airways plans to double the number of flights it operates between Abu Dhabi and New York later this year.
From March 1, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will introduce a second daily service to the US city’s JFK airport.
The new flight will depart Abu Dhabi International Airport at 1:45am, arriving in New York at 7:45am, while the return flight will leave New York at 11:35am, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 9:20am the next day.
Initially, the new flights will be operated by Etihad Airways using a pair of three-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft leased from its strategic partner, India's Jet Airways. Then from May 1 Jet Airways will operate these flights.
Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan said the services will provide “greater access” to New York City for travellers from Abu Dhabi and provide further evidence of the importance of the destination as a “global transport hub”.
Hogan also said the flights will open “fresh opportunities” for tourism to the UAE, and beyond to destinations throughout the Middle East, the Indian sub-continent, Asia, Africa, and the island nations of the Indian Ocean.
In addition to the increased New York flights, Etihad recently announced plans to commence services to two new US destinations - Los Angeles daily from June 2014 and Dallas-Fort Worth, three times a week, from December 2014.