Etihad Doubles Down on China With its Biggest Single-Market Push in Years

Etihad is adding five new mainland China routes and 28 weekly flights to its roster, in its most significant single-market expansion in years.

The announcement, made on Monday, sees Etihad build heavily on its current daily Beijing service, adding routes from Zayed International Airport to Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shenzhen.

All routes will be operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and form part of Etihad’s joint venture with China Eastern Airlines, with China Eastern currently operating reciprocal services on Shanghai, Kunming and Xi’an routes to the UAE. Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves described China as “a key pillar of our network growth,” positioning Abu Dhabi as a gateway between China and all markets to its West.

Etihad’s announcement comes as international airlines across the Gulf, Asia and Europe race to capitalize on China’s reopening aviation market post-pandemic.

China’s Summer-Autumn Schedule

According