Etihad expands repatriation flights
Etihad expands repatriation flights. The airline has announced special flights in addition to its previously announced list of cities it would operate to. It has been operating special as well as cargo flights.
Etihad had recently announced it would be using its passenger aircraft for cargo services. The airline is also supporting ‘UAE food security program’ which is part of the previously announced plan to utilise belly hold for transporting cargo.
Operation of special flights
Etihad at the start of the month said it would operate regular services to Seoul and to other destinations pending government approval. The destinations it had planned to operate to were Melbourne, Singapore, Manila, Bangkok, Jakarta and Amsterdam pending government approval.
The airline says this will give an opportunity for citizens of other nations to get back to their home nation. This is because there are several travel bans and restrictions present globally. In certain cases the airline had repatriated UAE citizens and carried fresh produce on the flight back to Abu Dhabi.
The airline said until now these services have covered destinations such as USA, Australia and Sri Lanka. The airline now has announced additional flights to a number of destinations.
Additional special flights
The airline has announced a series of special flights to Brussels, Dublin, London-Heathrow, Tokyo-Narita and Zurich. These flights are to help stranded citizens from other countries to get back to their country of origin.
| Flight | Origin | Destination | Dep. | Arr. | Dates | Aircraft |
| EY19 | Abu Dhabi | London Heathrow | 6:55 | 11:30 | 16, 17, 18 April | 787-10 |
| EY73 | Abu Dhabi | Zurich | 9:00 | 13:30 | 17 and 19 April | 787-9 |
| EY57 | Abu Dhabi | Brussels | 8:35 | 13:30 | 17 and 19 April | 787-9 |
| EY878 | Abu Dhabi | Tokyo | 21:40 | 12:45 | 14, 17 and 20 April | 787-9 |
| EY45 | Abu Dhabi | Dublin | 11:20 | 16:35 | 15, 20 and 22 April | 777-300ER |
These flights are in addition to the destinations announced previously in Amsterdam, Jakarta, Manila, Melbourne, Seoul and Singapore.
| Flight | Origin | Destination | Dep. | Arr. | Frequency | Aircraft |
| EY77 | Abu Dhabi | Amsterdam | 14:25 | 19:35 | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat | 787-10 |
| EY460 | Abu Dhabi | Melbourne | 18:00 | 13:15 | Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri | 787-9 |
| EY876 | Abu Dhabi | Seoul ICN | 18:45 | 8:15 | Tue, Thu, Sat | 787-10 |
| EY470 | Abu Dhabi | Singapore | 22:20 | 10:00 | Tue, Sat | 787-10 |
| EY424 | Abu Dhabi | Manila | 15:55 | 05:00 | Tue, Thu, Fri | 787-9 |
| EY474 | Abu Dhabi | Jakarta | 14:50 | 2:35 | Thu | 787-10 |
Conclusion
Etihad Airways is expanding its operation of repatriation flights in addition to its cargo expansion. The airline is also set to use its passenger aircraft for cargo service. This comes at a time when fellow airline Qatar has already been operating several repatriation flights to transport passengers across to their countries.
In addition to this it also allows the airline to operate aircraft which would else have been grounded and make some positive revenue.
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