UAE national carrier Etihad Airways is keen to expand its network in the US, one of the highest performing regions across the airline’s global network, said its airline chief.
Etihad will be launching its third US route on March 31 next year with daily non-stop flights between Washington, D.C. and its home base of Abu Dhabi. The route will be operated by a three-class Airbus A340-500 aircraft, said Etihad president and CEO James Hogan who is in Washington, D.C. to meet prominent local diplomats, travel industry executives, media and corporate representatives.
On the airline’s big expansion plans, Hogan said Etihad had flown nearly 1.5 million passengers to and from the US since commencing services to New York in 2006 and Chicago in 2009.
“The US specifically is among the highest performing regions across the airline’s global network, with an average 81 per cent load factor in 2012,” he stated.
On existing routes – New York and Chicago – a significant portion of premium bookings are for travel to/from Abu Dhabi, with 72 per cent of First Class passengers and 53 per cent of Business Class passengers starting or ending their journey in Abu Dhabi, he added.
The airline is also keen to expand further in the US and is examining a number of other destinations, particularly on the West Coast.
“The point-to-point market will be supplemented by strong traffic flows over Abu Dhabi onwards to destinations across Asia, particularly the Indian Subcontinent. With the addition of services to Ahmedabad this month, we now serve nine destinations across India,” said Hogan.
Through its agreement with American Airlines, in place since September 2009, Etihad Airways will also codeshare on connecting flights between Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles and Dallas-Fort Worth, he stated.
The airline also announced its plans to purchase two more Airbus A330-200 passenger aircraft in a deal worth $418 million at current list prices. The UAE carrier has also converted seven of its previously ordered Airbus A320s to the larger Airbus A321 model.
The new Airbus A330 aircraft are scheduled for delivery in January and March 2014 respectively.
The new Etihad Airways’ Airbus A330-200s will be configured with 22 Pearl Business Class lie-flat beds and 240 Coral Economy seats.