Etihad Airways will increase the frequency of its Abu Dhabi to Chengdu route from five times a week to a daily service from March 30.
The United Arab Emirates carrier first launched its Chengdu service in 2011. It became the third city in China to be serviced by Etihad, with daily flights also operated to Beijing and Shanghai.
Etihad said an increase in passenger volumes was the reason for introducing a daily service. Numbers rose by 25 per cent in 2013, compared to the previous year.
The flights are operated using a two-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft with 22 business and 240 economy seats.
Etihad’s CEO James Hogan said with consistent passenger growth and cargo volumes, Chengdu represents a “great opportunity” for the airline.
“Operating a daily service will provide our guests with even more convenient services to Abu Dhabi as well as key markets in the GCC, Middle East, North Africa and Europe,” he said.
“Our expanded service will further stimulate economic growth between China and the UAE.”
Etihad.com