Etihad Airways flies to Khartoum tomorrow

The Khartoum service joins Etihad's growing network of international destinations, including the new route to Kuwait that was launched on 1 July. It will operate every Monday, Wednesday and Sunday, and supports Etihad's current freighter operations between the UAE and Khartoum.

"Etihad is experiencing a period of rapid expansion with the launch of these exciting new destinations, and the arrival of our new purpose-built fleet of aircraft. Khartoum is a special destination for us due to the established cultural and commercial ties between Sudan and the UAE, which we look forward to building upon,"

said HH Dr. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saif Al Nahyan, chairman at Etihad Airways.

Etihad flight EY611 will depart from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) at 14:05 arriving at the Civil Airport in Khartoum (KRT) at 17:05. The return flight will depart Khartoum at 18:20, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 23:05.

Guests will fly on an Etihad Airways A330-200 configured with two zones offering 262 seats with 22 in Pearl and 240 in Coral, which can carry up to 14 tonnes of cargo.

Khartoum will join Johannesburg, Cairo and Casablanca as Etihad's fourth destination in Africa, demonstrating the airline's ambitions on the continent.

It is widely anticipated that the new route will be popular among the large Sudanese community living in the UAE, many of whom work within the public sector such as the civil service and education, as well as the UAE's booming construction industry.

"Etihad is delighted to be catering for the UAE-based Sudanese community, not only those living in Abu Dhabi, but across the whole country. Sudanese nationals will now be able to travel home regularly, enjoying Etihad's distinctive levels of hospitality and service," added HH Dr. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saif Al Nahyan.

Etihad Crystal Cargo has been successfully operating freighter flights to Khartoum for the last year. "This has been extremely successful, with our capacity being well utilised. We look forward to building on these high payloads and gaining new customers," said Ingo Roessler, VP Etihad Crystal Cargo.

The current Etihad Crystal Cargo freighter operations between Abu Dhabi and Khartoum offer a payload of up to 44 tonnes on each flight, three times a week.