Ethihad Airways to fly Kerala, Kochi from May

Dubai, Mar 26: Ethihad Airways, the UAE's national airline, will expand its services to India with the launch of two new routes from Abu Dhabi to Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, doubling its existing destinations to the country.

Etihad at present flies to two cities Mumbai and New Delhi.

Flights from Abu Dhabi to Thiruvananthapuram will begin on May 31 and to Kochi on June 3.

Etihad will also increase the frequency on its Abu Dhabi-New Delhi route from three flights-per-week to a daily service at the beginning of June this year, which will see the total number of Etihad flights to India each week rise from 10 to 21.

India has and always will be one of Etihad's cornerstone markets because of the historical ties with the UAE and both countries' growing position as world-class business and holiday destinations, Etihad Airways Chief Executive James Hogan said.

''India is now the second fastest growing economy in the world and the demand for frequent travel to and from the Middle East will continue to increase for the foreseeable future,'' he said in a statement.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline's services to southern India will provide an important link for the many thousands of Keralites living and working in the UAE and across West Asia, in addition to leisure travellers flying from Europe via Abu Dhabi for holidays in Kerala.

Etihad will operate the Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi services three and four times-per-week respectively and both routes are expected to increase to daily flights from October this year.

Etihad will operate a three cabin Airbus A340-500 aircraft on the new Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi routes, with the capacity to carry 240 passengers with 12 in first class, 28 in business class and 200 in economy.

UNI