New Etihad Tehran route to bring UAE-based Iranians closer to home

The UAE's national airline will launch its three flights-per-week service to the Iranian capital on Sunday 3 December, significantly increasing travel options back home for Iranian nationals living in the UAE.

Speaking about the new route Mrs. Maryam Jahangiry, who is originally from Tehran but has lived in Abu Dhabi with her husband and family for 20 years, said: "The whole family is very excited about Etihad's new route to Tehran because it will make our trips home to see our relatives so much easier. Not only is Abu Dhabi International Airport easy to access from Dubai or Abu Dhabi, but the timing of the flights means we can now visit for weekend breaks."

"Furthermore, our relatives living in Tehran will also be able to fly to the UAE for a short-break and spend time with us here. The UAE has always been popular with Iranians for its shopping and leisure attractions, and this will certainly see many of them using the new Etihad service to fly here."

As well as the leisure opportunities in the UAE, many Iranians living in the country are looking to invest in the property boom because of the close proximity to Iran.

"Previously Iranian expatriates would look to invest in property in Europe or the USA, but now, thanks to the booming economy and frequent flights to Iran such as Etihad's new service, the UAE is the ideal place to buy a second home," continued Mrs. Jahangiry.

The Iranian population living in the UAE is also growing at a rapid pace with 6,500 Iranian companies operating in the country and 10,000 Iranian students at schools and colleges.

"Etihad's strategy is to understand our Guests and what their travel requirements are, which is why the new Abu Dhabi - Tehran route is set to be so popular. There are extremely close ties on many levels between the UAE and Iran and we very much look forward to building on this,"

said Raymond Korban, regional general manager, UAE and Oman, Etihad Airways.

Etihad will operate one its brand new purpose-built Boeing 777-300ER aircraft which is configured to carry a total capacity of 378 Guests, 350 in the Coral zone and 28 in the Pearl zone.

Outbound flight EY731 will depart from Abu Dhabi International Airport every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 01:55 arriving in Tehran at 03:25.

The return flight, EY 732, will depart at 04:55, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 07:25. Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport is located on the outskirts of the city, and is well serviced by public transport.