Wow: Etihad Airways Has Already Announced 29 New Cities This Year

Etihad Airways is certainly in growth mode again, partly driven by its new Airbus A321LRs. This follows the airline’s paradoxical ‘shrink to grow’ years, which resulted from incurring billions in losses amid its period of excessiveness, overambition, and misdirection. Hopefully, its new foundation is sufficient for its expansion to be sustainable.

As of September 29, the UAE carrier has already announced 29 new and returning routes from its Abu Dhabi hub. Some have already started, some will begin later this year, while others will take off in 2026. They include the most recently announced link: Palma de Mallorca. Of course, more markets will be revealed soon, so this is just a snapshot at the time of writing.

9 Routes To Europe & North America

The list comprises seven cities in Europe (including two in European Russia) and two in North America. Etihad has not served any of them before. However, six of them are served by narrowbody-operating flydubai from its namesake hub, with many of these flights feeding its partner, Emirates. Emirates itself serves Prague and Warsaw; Prague is on the 615-seat A380. Qatar Airways flies to four of the nine cities, including Atlanta.

In some ways, Etihad is playing catch-up. However, it will be the only airline from the Middle East to fly to Palma de Mallorca and Charlotte. The never-before-served link to North Carolina is premised, in part, on Etihad’s partnership with American Airlines, where the oneworld member has 88% of the flights. Most passengers will connect to/from India.

13 Routes To Asia (Excluding The Middle East)

Etihad will begin or restart more routes to Asia than to any other continent or region. Only Chiang Mai (IATA code CNX) and Medan (KNO) won’t have flights by Emirates, Qatar Airways, or flydubai—or, indeed, Turkish Airlines.

Launching brand-new routes is particularly interesting. Part of that is because of the A321LR. Chiang Mai, Krabi, Medan, and Phnom Penh (the Cambodian capital’s new airport has the code KTI) will see the 160-seater, which has two first-class suites, 14 seats in business with a fully flat bed, and 144 economy seats. In all, ten of the 13 city pairs will be aboard narrowbodies. Only Hanoi, Hong Kong, and Taipei will use widebodies.

The airline has had passenger flights to five of 13 cities before: Almaty (until 2016), Baku (until 2020), Hong Kong (until 2020), Peshawar (until 2014), and Yerevan (until 2015). Some of these are ready-made markets. Almaty, Baku, and Yerevan will rejoin Etihad’s network because Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has ceased flights. It is for the same reason why the airline will fly to Tashkent, Tbilisi, and some cities in other geographic areas.

7 Routes To Africa & Across The Middle East

The additions are Addis Ababa, Algiers, Damascus, El Alamein, Medinah, Salalah, and Tunis. Three have been served before: Damascus (until 2012 due to the war), Medinah (until 2023; Wizz Air’s end meant it is returning), and Salalah (until 2019).

Unsurprisingly, flights to all seven cities will be on single-aisle equipment: the A320ceo, A321ceo, and—in the case of Algiers and Tunis—the A321LR. Indeed, when all 29 destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America are considered, narrowbodies will be deployed to 22 of them (76%). It’s a reminder of the importance of such equipment in network expansion, even for a fast-growing Gulf carrier.