subject: Etihad Airways Celebrates 5 Years Of Flights Between Abu Dhabi And Paris [print this page] Abu Dhabis national airline, Etihad Airways, is celebrating five years of operating direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Paris, France. The airline has taken more than 777,000 travellers to their Abu Dhabi holidays over the last five years with its non-stop services to and from Paris.
Since its launch in May, 2006, Etihad Airways has enjoyed 75 per cent of passengers on its flights to and from Abu Dhabi and in 2011 this amount has increased to 77 per cent.
Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, said: Our Paris operation has exceeded our expectations over the past five years, and we are pleased to be able to build on this success with the additional frequency we put in place in July this year, going double-daily.
This year we will carry 200,000 travellers on the Abu Dhabi-Paris route, up 16 per cent from 173,000 in 2010. By April 2012, we expect to have carried one million travellers overall on the route since its inception.
A logical step for us is to open a signature Etihad premium lounge at Charles de Gaulle airport, and Im delighted to announce that we have started planning this.
Over the past five years, the airline has carried 51,500 tons of cargo on flights to Abu Dhabi and Paris. The carriers annual cargo figures have increased from 5,000 tons when the service was first launched, to 15,000 tons.
Holidaymakers travelling with Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi holidays from Paris can enjoy flights onboard Airbus A330 and Airbus A340 aircraft, both of which operate three-cabins comprising Diamond First, Pearl Business, and Coral Economy class seats. Each week the airline operates 7,124 seats for both business travellers and tourists taking luxury holidays to the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
In addition to operating Abu Dhabi flights, Etihad Airways also provides routes for Dubai holidays and flights to over 70 destinations across the world including Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Canada, the United States, China, Japan, India, Thailand, South Africa and the Seychelles.
Hogan added: By year end, we forecast we will turnover US$4 billion, have carried 8.4 million travellers, and have 1.3 million Etihad Guest members. All this will have been achieved despite a still fragile global economy and, at times, challenging operating conditions.
We remain committed to building the Etihad brand in the French market, offering customers great choice, connectivity, and value. Working closely with our new codeshare partner SNCF French Railways, the travel industry, the business community and governments, we look forward to deepening the strong relationship between France and the United Arab Emirates.
