Etihad Now Flies To 11 Destinations In The Country

The three big Middle East carriers have a significant presence in India, and one of them—Etihad—is celebrating two decades of operations in the country this month. What started with just one destination in India has now expanded to multiple cities, and Etihad also offered discounts to passengers to celebrate the occasion.

20 years in India

Etihad Airways has had a presence in India for 20 years. The airline first flew to Mumbai in 2004 on September 26, 2004, and soon after to Delhi. Over the years, the carrier has expanded its offerings to India, and now operates to 11 cities in the country, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Jaipur, which were added earlier this year.

Etihad now has 176 weekly India flights, and over the last two decades, it has flown more than 172,000 flights, carrying more than 26 million passengers between India, the UAE, and throughout the world.

Photo: Etihad

This year alone, Etihad’s operations in India have received a significant boost, with the airline adding more flights to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Kolkata and increasing its weekly flights to the country by 50 compared to the summer of 2023. Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, commented,

“India is a strategically important market for Etihad and we’re extremely proud to be celebrating 20 years of flying to this incredible country. When the young and ambitious Etihad launched flights to Mumbai in 2004, it was Etihad’s 8th global destination and since then we’ve expanded to 80 destinations with a vision to offer 125 destinations by 2030.”

Discounted fares

To celebrate 20 years in India, Etihad also offered up to 20% discounts on flights to and from the country in a limited-period sale from September 19 to 21. This was applicable to travel from October 1, 2024, to March 15, 2025.

Many Indian passengers use Etihad’s hub in Abu Dhabi as a connecting point to travel to popular global destinations in Europe and the United States, and the airline offered many a chance to take advantage of the sale.

Catering to Indian travelers

Like any carrier in the Middle East, Etihad gets a lot of business from India. The airline has tried to make inroads into the country not just through flights but also various initiatives, such as becoming the official sponsor of the Chennai Super Kings – a cricket team in the Indian Premier League. On the occasion of completing 20 years in India, Etihad has also announced that it will be the sponsor for Mumbai City FC, a professional football team in India.

Photo: alphonsusjimos | Shutterstock

Etihad also caters to Indian passengers on its flights in several other ways. It has collaborated with local chefs to curate regional meals to serve while flying to 11 cities. For example, flights to Delhi have cuisine inspired by Mughlai, Punjabi, and street food influences, while guests on Mumbai flights can expect Maharashtrian flavors.

The airline recently also launched a Hindi website and offers content for its in-flight entertainment in various Indian languages, including Hindi, Malayalam, Telegu, Kannada, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati, and Marathi.

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