Etihad Airways unveils stunning new livery

The design was revealed as the national airline of the UAE rolled out the first of its ten A380s at the Airbus Firkenwerder facility in Hamburg.

Created in partnership with leading brand consultants Landor Associates and drawing inspiration from Abu Dhabi’s desert landscape and modern architecture, Etihad’s new livery design will eventually be introduced across its entire fleet.

The design pattern named ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ uses a colour palette which reflects the varying hues of the landscape of the UAE, from the darker sands of Liwa to the lighter colours seen in the Northern Emirates.

The airlines A380 will begin flights to London Heathrow from 27 December 2014. The two subsequent deliveries of the A380 in early 2015 will also service the route, making it a triple daily A380 operation. Later in 2015, A380s will operate flights to Sydney and flights to New York as Etihad Airways receives its fourth and fifth aircraft.

What do you think of the new livery?

Etihad Airways to enter new markets in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Tanzania

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced the expansion of its ever-growing network with the addition of Baku, Tbilisi and Dar es Salaam in the second half of 2015.

It’s the ninth new destination to be announced for the year ahead at Etihad, and the company has shown very little signs of slowing down.

The fast-growing Caucasus region will be a major focus area for Etihad next year, with new flights to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, being operated four times a week from 1 October, while flights to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, will be served three times a week from 2 October.

Both cities are famed for their warm hospitality and natural beauty, offering a breath-taking range of botanic gardens and parks, as well as historic attractions, museums and galleries.

Etihad Airways will also commence a daily flights to Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, from 1 December 2015, providing access to one of East Africa’s most important economic and government centres, and the country’s many tourist attractions, including pristine beaches, wildlife safaris, and the world’s highest free-standing mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro.

Flights to all three destinations will be operated using Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration, with a total of 16 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class.

Launch schedule of new Etihad Airways routes in 2015:

Destination	Launch Date	Frequency
Kolkata	15 February 2015	Daily
Madrid	29 March 2015	Daily
Entebbe	1 May 2015	Daily
Edinburgh	8 June 2015	Daily
Hong Kong	15 June 2015	4 per Week
Algiers	17 June 2015	3 per Week
Baku	1 October 2015	4 per Week
Tbilisi	2 October 2015	3 per Week
Dar es Salaam	1 December 2015	Daily

Air Seychelles introduces non-stop flights to Madagascar

Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, announced the launch of its direct flights to Antananarivo, Madagascar, commencing 3 December 2014.*

The twice-weekly flights to the capital’s Ivato International Airport (TNR) will be operated using a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft, offering 16 Business Class and 120 Economy Class seats.

Madagascar is renowned for its extraordinary botanical and zoological attractions, in particular three UNESCO World Heritage Sites —the rainforests of the Atsinanana, the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, and the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, the spiritual centre of the Merina people.

The new services will be Air Seychelles’ fourth destination in a rapidly expanding regional network that includes Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg and Mauritius.

Air Seychelles’ Antananarivo service, due to commence 3 December 2014:

Flight No.	Origin	Departs	Destination	Arrives	Days	Aircraft
HM 755	Mahé (SEZ)	09:30	Antananarivo (TNR)	11:05	Wed, Sat	A320
HM 754	Antananarivo (TNR)	15:30	Mahé (SEZ)	19:05	Wed, Sat	A320

 Note: All departures and arrivals are listed in local time.

 *subject to government approvals

Etihad Airways launches arrivals lounge in Abu Dhabi

The all-new Arrivals Lounge by Etihad Airways is the first-of-its-kind to be operated in the world, offering a stylish and modern environment for the exclusive use of the airline’s First and Business Class guests. It also boasts a convenient location, immediately after customs at Abu Dhabi International Airport.

So what can you expect upon arriving in Abu Dhabi? Highlights include a dedicated area to freshen-up before leaving the airport, with 10 revitalising shower units, each equipped with luxurious amenities and linked to a complimentary service for clothes steaming. You can get your dresses and suits pressed to perfection in just 10 minutes, ready for when you finish your shower.

For gentleman, a complimentary refreshing wet shave by fully-qualified barbers is offered at  ‘SHAVE by Etihad Airways’, located in the Arrivals Lounge.

There’s more. As a First Class or Business Class guest, you’ll also get access to a dedicated relaxation area, with high-comfort seating, large screen televisions, and an array of local and international newspapers, magazines and books.

You can even tuck-in to delicious Café style refreshments, including breakfast offering in the morning, hot and cold beverages, and a delectable range of canapés, snacks and sweet treats, all freshly prepared by a culinary team and inspired by gourmet flavours from around the world.

If you’re looking for a quiet and productive space to prepare for meetings, you can utilise the onsite business facility, which features a large-screen Apple computer, printer, and complimentary broadband and wireless internet connections.

Etihad Airways currently operates a global network of 11 airport lounges, including the new Arrivals Lounge, and its existing First and Business Class facilities at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The airline’s international lounges are located in Dublin, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Manchester, Paris, Sydney and Washington DC, with future locations set to include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Melbourne and Milan.

Etihad Airways’ new schedule provides more choice to and from South Africa

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), today announced changes to its schedule between Abu Dhabi and Johannesburg, effective 26 October 2014.

The change in the flight schedule, with new daily departure options from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg and vice versa, will provide travellers in either direction with improved opportunities to connect onwards to regional networks across Africa, and internationally beyond the airline’s hub in Abu Dhabi.

The new schedule will also provide passengers with a significant increase in weekly connections between Johannesburg and a number of key Asian business and leisure destinations on the airline’s fast growing global network, including Chengdu (China), Singapore and Phuket (Thailand).

The new Johannesburg schedule, effective Sunday, 26 October 2014 will be as follows:

Flight No.	From	To	Dept. Time	Arr Time	Days
EY602	AUH	JNB	2:00am	8:40am	Wed, Fri, Sun
EY601	JNB	AUH	9:55am	8:15pm	Wed, Fri, Sun
EY604	AUH	JNB	10:35am	5:10pm	Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat
EY603	JNB	AUH	8:30pm	6:40am +1	Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat

All times are local