Etihad Airways launches flights to Medina

Medina, November 12, 2017 – Etihad Airways announced the start of operating its flights from Abu Dhabi to Medina this week, strengthening its strong presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and expanding travel options for guests in the religious, business and leisure tourism categories.

The service directly connects Abu Dhabi and Medina, meeting the growing demand from pilgrims and travelers from around the world looking for smooth trips to the Holy City.

Medina is the latest addition to Etihad Airways operations in the Kingdom, which strengthens the position of the national carrier of the UAE as one of the most prominent contributors to travel traffic to and from Saudi Arabia.

Etihad will operate five flights per week to Medina via its Airbus A321 aircraft, increasing to six flights per week later this year.

In addition to flights to Medina, Etihad will operate 93 weekly flights to five Saudi cities, with four daily flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, in addition to three weekly flights to Qassim.

This expansion comes within Etihad’s ambitious growth strategy, which includes announcing 31 new destinations within one year.

Antonaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways, said that the launch of the carrier’s flights to Medina is an important step in strengthening the link between Abu Dhabi and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is one of Etihad’s most important markets. He pointed out that Medina has a deep cultural and spiritual status among millions of people, and that Etihad Airways is looking forward, through this new route, to supporting religious travel and providing more options and flexibility to its guests through its operations center in Abu Dhabi.

For his part, Captain Majid Al Marzouqi, Chief Operating Officer and Guest Experience at Etihad Airways, told the Emirates News Agency, WAM, that the launch of Medina flights provides the airline’s guests with more flexibility and options when traveling to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via Abu Dhabi.

He added that during the past twelve months, Etihad Airways witnessed rapid growth in its network of destinations, as it launched more than 30 new destinations, and that it is preparing during the next year to launch more than 15 other destinations extending across the Middle East, Europe, Africa and North America, including seasonal destinations such as Salalah, Krakow and Mallorca, and destinations that operate year-round such as Baku and Damascus.

Captain Al Marzouqi stressed that this expansion of Etihad Airways’ network reflects its commitment to supporting Abu Dhabi’s position as a major hub for global air traffic, and enhances its ability to connect the East to the West easily and flexibly through Zayed International Airport.

He pointed out that the new destinations contribute to diversifying the Etihad Airways network and attracting more visitors coming and passing through Abu Dhabi, in line with national ambitions aimed at attracting more than 38 million visitors to the capital by 2030.

He explained that each new destination added to the network represents a new bridge linking cultures and peoples, and a distinguished travel experience that allows guests to enjoy world-class services extending from Abu Dhabi to the world.

Guests traveling through the Etihad network to Medina can benefit from a free stopover package in Abu Dhabi, which includes a free two-night stay in one of the capital’s hotels.

Abu Dhabi offers a rich mix of culture, modern architecture, and world-class entertainment, including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, in addition to prominent destinations on Yas and Saadiyat Islands such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Team Labs Phenomena experience, beaches, entertainment facilities and various parks.

Thanks to Abu Dhabi’s strategic location, passengers traveling from Medina can enjoy seamless connections to Etihad’s network across Asia, Australia and Europe.

In October, Etihad launched flights to Sumatra (Medan), Cambodia (Phnom Penh), Addis Ababa and Krabi, and this month it also launched flights to Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Hong Kong and Tunisia.

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