Etihad Airways commences daily Hong Kong service

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, yesterday announced the start of daily services to Hong Kong.
To mark the carrier’s increased frequency, its yesterday morning flight to Hong Kong International Airport was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by senior officials from Etihad Airways and the Hong Kong Airport Authority.
According to James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, “Demand for travel into and out of Greater China has never been stronger. The introduction of a daily frequency to Hong Kong, along with our popular services to Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai, will ensure that business and leisure travellers benefit from convenient timings and connections to suit their needs.”
Etihad Airways’ daily Hong Kong flights are operated using a two-class Airbus A330 aircraft, offering a total of 3,620 seats per week between Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi.
“Our guests travelling from Hong Kong and nearby southern China are now connected to more than 30 destinations across the Gulf region, Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America over Abu Dhabi”, Hogan added. “In addition, we offer guests travelling to Hong Kong onward connections to a number of destinations across Asia through our codeshare partnerships.”
Codeshare partners on the route include airberlin, Air Seychelles, Alitalia, NIKI and Hong Kong Airlines. Meanwhile, Etihad Airways has expanded its codeshare agreement with Hong Kong Airlines, a Skytrax 4-star airline, to provide travellers with enhanced connections between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Under the expanded codeshare agreement, Hong Kong Airlines will place its ‘HX’ flight code on Etihad Airways’ flights between Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi, and Abu Dhabi to Madrid in Spain.
Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways’ Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, commented: “Our codeshare agreement with Hong Kong Airlines was initiated last year with a primary focus on enhanced connectivity between Asia and the Middle East. The expanded codeshare will result in further commercial success for both airlines, and more importantly unleash the true benefits of the partnership by offering business and leisure travellers enhanced connections and a more frequent service between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.”