By IANS,
Dubai : The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) national carrier Etihad Airways will start daily operations to Chennai and Kozhikode in India from Aug 1 this year.
“Etihad will start operations from Abu Dhabi to Chennai and Kozhikode effective Aug 1,” Vijay Poonoosamy, Etihad Airways’ head of government and international affairs, told IANS on phone from Abu Dhabi.
“This will take the total number of destinations Etihad flies to in India to six,” he said.
As of now the Abu Dhabi-based airline, one of the four national carriers of this Gulf nation, flies to New Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
According to the new schedule, Etihad’s daily flights to Kozhikode will leave Abu Dhabi at 11.35 p.m. local time and reach the Kerala city at 5 a.m.
The return flight will leave Kozhikode at 5.45 a.m. and reach Abu Dhabi at 8 a.m.
On the Chennai sector, the flight will leave Abu Dhabi at 8.50 a.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and reach the Tamil Nadu capital at 2.45 p.m.
It will take off from Chennai at 3.15 p.m. and reach the UAE capital at 5.45 p.m.
On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the flight will leave Abu Dhabi at 1.45 p.m. and reach Chennai at 7.25 p.m.
The return flight on these four days will leave Chennai at 8.20 p.m. and reach Abu Dhabi at 10.50 p.m.
“Etihad is looking to expanding its list of destinations and India figures very prominently in its plans,” Poonoosamy said.
There are around 1.5 million expatriate Indians in the UAE.