Published: 16/08/2012   RSS

Etihad Airways will increase flights between Brisbane and Abu Dhabi from three times a week to daily from February 1.

The additional four services will continue to operate via Singapore in both directions.

EY470 will depart Abu Dhabi 1025 and arrive in Singapore 2210, and depart Singapore 2340 and arrive Brisbane 0940; on the return leg, flights depart Brisbane 1155 and arrive Singapore 1810, and depart Singapore 1945, arriving Abu Dhabi 2330.

It will bring the total number of flights Etihad Airways operates between Australia and Abu Dhabi to 28, together with partner airline Virgin Australia.
 
James Hogan, President and CEO, said the increase was "a game-changing move" for the airline on the competitive Singapore-Australia route and underscored the importance of the Australasian/Asia Pacific market to the airline.
 
"Going daily to Brisbane and Singapore puts Etihad Airways in a stronger competitive position and will increase the airline’s brand footprint exponentially in these markets," he said.
 
"We are now able to offer corporate and leisure travellers a more appealing proposition: more flights, more convenience, improved connections and a wider choice of destinations in Europe, the Middle East, GCC, and on the Virgin Australia domestic network."

Etihad started thrice weekly flights to Brisbane and Singapore in 2007. It operates a two-class A330-200 aircraft on the route with 22 Pearl business class and 240 Coral economy class seats.

The increase in capacity may have implications for competitors such as Emirates - which operates B777-300ER services to Brisbane - and Qantas, who have been in talks about potential alliances (click here).

For more information, visit etihad.com

Report by Dominic Ellis