Etihad Unveils Major Expansion Plan and Vision for 2024

Etihad Airways has unveiled massive growth plans in order to increase passenger numbers, add planes to its fleet, and operate to new destinations.

The UAE national airline has unveiled its development goals for 2024, which includes an increase in the number of passengers flying, more aircraft, a growing network of holiday destinations, and more.

Etihad Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves confirmed the airline’s expansion intentions until 2024.

It includes expanding its network of destinations, giving travellers more options, and adding flights to critical international markets through its global network.

The goal is to usher in a new era of sustainable growth supported by a solid strategic action plan.

“In addition to launching new destinations, we are working on increasing frequencies to our daily destinations in North America, Europe, Asia, the Gulf region, and the Indian subcontinent,” said Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways.

“This is a significant step to provide more travel choices, offer increased comfort for passengers, and establish better connections within our growing global network,” he added.

Boston is the fourth U.S. destination that the airline is adding to its network, continuing its trend of adding popular holiday destinations. As of 31st March, four weekly flights will be operating to the city in the northeastern United States.

Beginning on 1st May, service will commence to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

The airline expanded its Indian route network in early January to include the cities of Kozhikode and Trivandrum, the state of Kerala. Etihad Airways now serves a total of ten stations in India.

Etihad Airways will increase the frequency of its flights to popular destinations, including Cairo (21 flights per week), Colombo (7 flights per week), Islamabad (14 flights per week), and the Maldives (14 flights per week).

In December 2023, the airline announced the return of its A380 service between Abu Dhabi and New York-JFK. Introducing “The Residence,” the one and only three-room suite in the sky.

Neves added: “In 2017, our fleet peaked at 110 aircraft, and we worked on reducing the fleet size between 2019 and 2022. Today, we are witnessing the return of our large aircraft, such as the Airbus A380, Boeing 787, and Boeing 777, resulting in an increase in our fleet to 86 aircraft, and we expect it to reach a total of 160 aircraft by 2030″.

Etihad was voted the third-best airline in the world in the 2023 Airline Ratings, and the company plans to triple its passenger volume in 2023. This year’s target is 30 million passengers.

The recently built Terminal A at Abu Dhabi International Airport is a key component of the company’s expansion plan, with a capacity of up to 45 million passengers per year and direct connections to 117 destinations worldwide.