Etihad Airways landed for the first time in Portugal on June 18, marking the start of its scheduled flights between Abu Dhabi and Lisbon. The airline is the fifth Middle Eastern carrier to serve the Portuguese capital.
Flight EY 63 was operated on a Boeing 787 registered as A6-BLY. The aircraft departed Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) at 01:49 local time and arrived at Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) at 06:36, after seven hours and 47 minutes.
Present at the ceremony to celebrate this new service were Fernando d’Orey de Brito e Cunha Figueirinhas, Ambassador of Portugal to the United Arab Emirates; Chris Hedlin, Etihad’s Vice President of Network Planning; Rui Alves, Director of Lisbon Airport and local media.
«We continue to expand our global network and are delighted to fly to Lisbon for the first time. We look forward to welcoming our customers to visit the historic city of Lisbon and, at the same time, connecting the Portuguese to the UAE and destinations in the Middle East, Asia and Australia«, said Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways.
Etihad’s flight schedule to Lisbon
- Abu Dhabi – Lisbon Flight EY 63 AUH 01:25 – LIS 06:40 Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
- Lisbon – Abu Dhabi Flight EY 64 LIS 08:50 – AUH 19:15 Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
This new service is operated on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft that provide 28 seats in Business Class and 262 seats in Economy, entertainment systems, USB ports and in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity.
Initially the Abu Dhabi – Lisbon route was scheduled as a seasonal summer service, Etihad has extended the operation for the winter season to make it a year-round connection, as a result of strong travel demand.
This new Etihad route offers Lisbon Airport unprecedented international connectivity allowing Portuguese travelers to fly to a wide range of destinations in Thailand, the Maldives, the Middle East and Australia and also for more tourists to visit Portugal.
In addition to the start of operations to the Portuguese capital, Etihad continues to expand its international network this year with the introduction of new destinations to Osaka and Copenhagen and the resumption of services to Düsseldorf and Kolkata. The airline also began seasonal flights to Malaga and Mykonos.
See also: Etihad Airways Bolsters Japanese Services: New Non-stop Route Between Abu Dhabi and Osaka
