Etihad Airways expands services to Riyadh

The additional fourth service will operate on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft every Monday from 10 July in a two-zone configuration, with 28 seats in Pearl Zone and 350 seats in Coral.

"We are delighted to announce the increase in services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh," said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, Chairman of Etihad Airways.

"The new day-time flights will provide clear benefits to our Guests who are conducting business in both cities. The eight flights a week this winter will provide unparalleled week-round flexibility for our Guests booking flights or shipments, and consolidate Etihad's position as the world's leading new airline."

EY Flight 709 departs Abu Dhabi 13.20 and arrives Riyadh 14.00, and the return flight, EY 710, departs Riyadh 16.30 and lands in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi at 19.10.

It complements the existing three flights a week which operate between the two cities every Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam, currently seven flights weekly, will rise to eight weekly from July and nine weekly from 29 October.

With the capacity increases, the Kingdom becomes the premier regional market for Etihad Airways. Services to Riyadh started in December 2004 and flights began to Jeddah this summer.

Etihad Airways, twice voted the world's leading new airline, is expanding its global network rapidly and starts flights to Kuwait and Khartoum from 1 July and 5 July respectively.

The premium airline has five Boeing B777-300ERs in operation, all of which feature fully-flat business beds in Pearl zone. The aircraft has a capacity of up to 20 tons of cargo, even with a full passenger load.

Etihad takes delivery of its first Airbus A340-500 long range aircraft in June, which features a revolutionary rotational Diamond Seat.