Kerala flights signal growth Etihad's ambitions in India

Etihad Airways is set to expand further in the Indian market if it gets government approval, according to a senior official from the Abu Dhabi-based airline.
Geert Boven, Etihad's executive vice president sales and services, said that Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad were all 'in the airline's sights' as the carrier prepares to launch flights on 30 May to Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and 2 June to Kochi (Cochin).
Etihad held talks with the Indian authorities over new air rights in March, which resulted in the new Kerala routes and will enable Etihad to offer a total of 21 flights per week from Abu Dhabi to India.
Following the conclusion of the talks the airline has been working towards adding more Indian destinations to its expanding flight network which target the major cities in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The new three flights-per-week service to Thiruvananthapuram and four flights-per-week service to Kochi will join Etihad's established flights to Mumbai and New Delhi, with flights to the Indian capital going daily from 31 May.
Etihad is already experiencing high demand on the Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi routes, with aircraft seat sales averaging 80 per cent full planes.
24/05/07 AME Info (press release), United Arab Emirates

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Categories: Foreign May 2007