Etihad Starts Los Angeles Flights

Etihad Airways starts daily direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles today, its fourth US destination after New York, Chicago and Washington DC.

EY171 departs Abu Dhabi International Airport 0850 and arrives in Los Angeles 1420 local time. The return flight, EY170, departs Los Angeles at 1615 and arrives in Abu Dhabi 1935 the following day. The aircraft listed for today’s inaugural flight is an Airbus A340-500. In mid-July, the service will switch to a three-cabin, long-range Boeing 777-200 LR which will be configured with 237 seats, including eight first class suites, 40 business class flatbed seats, and 189 economy class seats.

With a flight time of 16 hours and 30 minutes, the 8,390-mile service becomes one of the lengthiest routes globally, and the longest into Los Angeles Airport. The new route boosts US west coast links with the Middle East and Subcontinent and provides Middle East and Asian passengers with direct links to California, albeit on an alternative, cross-Atlantic routing.

Gina Marie Lindsey, Los Angeles World Airports executive director, said: “Etihad joins an impressive list of international air carriers that are now able to offer passengers an improved and exceptional level of customer service with the opening of the new Tom Bradley International Terminal.”

Business Traveller Middle East will be reporting from Los Angeles next week when a gala dinner, attended by representatives from the US Embassy in the UAE and UAE Embassy in the US, among other key business groups, will officially launch the route.

Etihad will start three-times weekly flights to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport from December 3.