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Etihad announces ten new routes

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In a much-hyped announcement, Etihad has revealed ten new destinations it will fly to in 2025. It is slim pickings for the UK, indeed for Europe.

Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves says:

“2025 marks a pivotal year for Etihad, with more than 90 destinations in over 50 countries, a fleet of more than 110 aircraft – including our amazing new A321LRs – welcoming over 20 million guests onboard. Most importantly, it will support us in bringing over a million visitors to Abu Dhabi to enjoy our home.”

Etihad launches 10 new routes

The ten routes are (all dates are 2025):

  • Algiers (4x weekly from 7th November)
  • Atlanta (3x weekly from 2nd July)
  • Chiang Mai (4x weekly from 3rd November)
  • Hanoi (daily from 3rd November)
  • Hong Kong (5x weekly from 3rd November)
  • Krabi (daily from 9th October)
  • Medan (3x weekly from 2nd October)
  • Phnom Penh (5x weekly from 3rd October)
  • Taipei (daily from 7th September)
  • Tunis (3x weekly from 1st November)

Other previously announced new routes for 2025 include Prague, Warsaw and Al Alamein.

According to Cirium, these are all new entirely routes for the airline with the exception of Hong Kong, which it operated pre-pandemic.

Five of the new routes are to South East Asia, with Thailand getting two new flights. This should open up the area even further and increase competition with Qatar Airways and Emirates.

All of the routes will start in 2025, with Atlanta the first to launch on 2nd July. This is followed by a daily service to Taipei with the rest following in October and November.

All flights, with the exception of Hong Kong, Taipei and Atlanta, will be operated by Etihad’s fleet of new A321LRs.

The first of these are due to arrive in the new year and are a key factor in enabling the airline to expand on routes that might not make sense with a widebody aircraft. Etihad is widely expected to install proper lie-flat business class seats on its A321LR.

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Category

Etihad and Etihad Guest

Comments (54)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Stuart says:
    28 Nov28 November 06:08

    If only ATL and HKG of the 10 new EY route are not using the A321LR then AUH-TPE on a A321LR does not sound comfortable for those in Y. Yet, impressive from a engineering point of view what Airbus is capable of doing with the A320 family.

  • Jetset Boyz says:
    28 Nov28 November 06:27

    Etihad announces ten new routes: “It is slim pickings for the UK, indeed for Europe.”

    Etihad needs new east-of-Abu Dhabi destinations to get more people from Europe flying with them. These new routes increase the much needed competition to Qatar airways on these routes – resulting, hopefully, in more competitive pricing and in time more rotations each day.

    • BBbetter says:
      28 Nov28 November 08:20

      Exactly. It’s very good for UK travellers heading east especially with BA pretty much giving away these routes to QR. Don’t understand Rob’s comments. He probably thinks Dubai is the best place in the east 🙂

    • Rhys says:
      28 Nov28 November 08:26

      Great for people in Manchester and London, where Etihad has flights. But Qatar Airways flies to Birmingham and Edinburgh on top, whilst Emirates adds Glasgow and Newcastle as well.

  • Dan Carey says:
    28 Nov28 November 06:47

    Good to see more routes from the north but Leeds/Bradford really needs to pull its finger out! More from Yorkshire please!

    • Pogonation says:
      28 Nov28 November 08:37

      The thing about Leeds is that it is relatively easy to get to Manchester airport. There’s a direct train that takes 1hr20 and Leeds and most surrounding towns can get to Manchester airport within 1hr20 by road. So this probably inhibits proper growth at LBA.

      Newcastle on the other hand is about 3hrs20 drive or 3hrs20 by non direct train.

      • Dubious says:
        28 Nov28 November 10:23

        Leeds Bradford should therefore capitalise on a more friendly and smooth airport security processing experience as part of their marketing.

        People seem to regularly complain about this aspect of the Manchester Airport experience.

      • TooPoorToBeHere says:
        28 Nov28 November 11:03

        Trouble with LBA is there’s no train, the roads are crap, and it’s fog-bound or otherwise has wx issues too much.

        For all that I love to shit on MAN, if you book to or from MAN you will, generally, travel.

        • Nick says:
          28 Nov28 November 12:26

          LBA’s exposed sloping hilltop runway really doesn’t help operations there, it puts it at huge risk of weather disruption with lower tolerances than other airports nearby. They also desperately need to improve access with either an express bus or finally building a spur to the railway, currently it’s a terrible welcome to foreign visitors.

  • Thomas says:
    28 Nov28 November 06:58

    Newcastle, in Yorkshire?

    • BSI1978 says:
      28 Nov28 November 07:46

      Rhys clearly states “or North East” (unless this was added post your comment which I don’t think it was)

      • Thomas says:
        28 Nov28 November 07:59

        OR implies either Yorkshire, or North east. Newcastle has nothing to do with yorkshire at all. So using Yorkshire in a sentence after talking about Newcastle is totally irrelevant.

    • John G says:
      28 Nov28 November 08:18

      They left out Cumbria as I doubt there has ever been a Berlin flight from there either. Just as (ir)relevant as mentioning Yorkshire!

  • Newburyrich says:
    28 Nov28 November 07:15

    easyJet has flown from Newcastle to Berlin Schoenefeld in the past. Jet2 do Christmas markets flights there at the moment from Newcastle

  • Stuart says:
    28 Nov28 November 07:44

    Not sure it’s the first to Berlin from the North East and Yorkshire, Jet2 run Christmas market flights there

  • Owen Rudge says:
    28 Nov28 November 07:56

    Bristol of course used to have Continental fly to EWR using the 757. I wonder what aircraft they’re targeting – A321LR or perhaps the smaller widebodies?

    • Ross says:
      28 Nov28 November 07:57

      Didn’t know that. When did that service end?

    • kiran_mk2 says:
      28 Nov28 November 09:43

      I can’t see any airline wanting to fly anything larger than an A321LR or XLR between Bristol & the US. An A320LR should comfortably reach Chicago and the XLR should put Florida & Texas in play.

      With this being the case, does the runway need an extension?

      Also, is there any chance Bristol could get US immigration pre-clearance? That would start to make it a more interesting option for airlines & US-bound travelers.

      • Nick says:
        28 Nov28 November 12:28

        Zero chance! The airport has to have fully secure segregated areas and pay the full cost of bringing and housing CBP staff from the US. There’s no way on earth BRS would attract enough flights to make that viable.

  • TeesTraveller says:
    28 Nov28 November 08:16

    Not sure where the “first Berlin flight from anywhere in Yorkshire or the North East” claim came from, EasyJet ran NCL-SXF for years.

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