Abu Dhabi’s Etihad to increase flights to Egypt and Nigeria

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways announced that it is increasing services to Egypt and Nigeria this year, as both the countries witness a resurgence in their economies.

A fifth daily flight will be introduced to Egyptian capital Cairo from October 1, while a new weekly service will be launched to Nigeria’s Lagos from December 2.

The additional service to Cairo will increase Etihad’s weekly flights to the city to 35, compared to 28 at present.

Flight EY647 will depart Abu Dhabi at 10.50am and arrive in Cairo at 12.40pm. The return flight EY648 will depart from the Egyptian capital at 2.45pm and arrive in the UAE capital at 8.30pm.

The new flight timings will offer customers in each market more choice, Etihad said. The service is hoped to provide convenient connections between Abu Dhabi and key cities in North and South Asia.

The airline also clarified that it will be increasing flights to Cairo before the October 1 implementation date to meet growing demand on the route during the upcoming peak travel months.

Etihad Airways executive vice president commercial, Mohammad Al Bulooki, said: “Cairo is the largest point to point market from Abu Dhabi enjoying an increase in tourist traffic to Egypt.

“Our additional flights demonstrate the importance of the strong historic ties between the UAE and Egypt, and our continued support of the growth of bilateral trade and Egypt’s tourism industry.”

Etihad is also introducing a new Saturday flight to Lagos, Nigeria, in addition to the four weekly flights it currently operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The new flight will also fly as EY673 departing from Abu Dhabi at 2.30am and arriving in Lagos at 7.30am on Saturdays. The return flight EY674 will depart from Lagos at 9.00am and arrive in the UAE capital at 7.50pm.

Al Bulooki said that Lagos is one of the airline’s largest direct markets in Sub-Saharan Africa that has shown growing strength as Nigeria recovers from a recession. “Against this backdrop, our additional flights will help facilitate the growth,” he added.