Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has today launched its inaugural flight to the Philippines’ capital Manila, continuing its tremendous growth into 2006.
Senior Filipino dignitaries and Etihad Airways executives attended a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at Abu Dhabi International Airport to celebrate the launch of the new Manila route.
Commenting on the new development, Geert Boven, Etihad Airways vice president – commercial, said, “The UAE and the Philippines have enjoyed a tremendous bilateral relationship for many years, and this new Etihad service enables the close bond to develop even further. Guests will be offered a frequent and flexible service, giving business and leisure travellers the opportunity to relax and enjoy Etihad’s hospitality.”
The new destination follows Etihad Airways’ ambitious plans to link Abu Dhabi to the world’s most important commercial and cultural centres, and will provide a major service to the 200,000 Filipino nationals based in the UAE, as well as the thousands of other nationalities in demand of air service to that market.
The inaugural Etihad Airways EY 427 flight to Manila departed from Abu Dhabi International Airport at 01:30 hours this morning ( on 13 February 2006), and will arrive at 14:05 hours on the same day. The return EY 428 flight will then depart Manila at 15:50 on the same day, arriving back in Abu Dhabi at 20:45 hours.
The Manila route, which will operate every Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, is just one of several new international destinations for the Abu Dhabi-based luxury carrier in 2006.
“The Philippines route is a vital commercial and travel route. As well as enabling Filipino families to visit one another, the new route also opens up new travel opportunities for many of the UAE and Gulf residents who wish to visit some of the beautiful Filipino islands,” concluded Boven.
There is already extensive trade between the two nations, with the Philippines looking to increase its major exports including electrical machinery, clothing and timber products.
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. The country consists of more than 7,000 islands, with the majority of the population living on just 11 of them. The geography and history of the Philippines have produced a multiplicity of languages with some 80 dialects in total.
The Philippines is the third largest English speaking country in the world, and has a rich history combining Asian, European, and American influences.
The new Etihad route between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Manila (MNL) operates as follows:
Day Flight no. Depart Arrive
Monday EY 427 AUH 01:30 MNL 14:05
Monday EY 428 MNL 15:50 AUH 20:45
Tuesday EY 427 AUH 01:30 MNL 14:05
Tuesday EY 428 MNL 15:50 AUH 20:45
Friday EY 427 AUH 01:30 MNL 14:05
Friday EY 428 MNL 15:50 AUH 20:45
Saturday EY 427 AUH 01:30 MNL 14:05
Saturday EY 428 MNL 15:50 AUH 20:45
About Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is the world’s fastest growing airline and will now fly to 24 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America and Asia.
Together with its divisions Etihad Holidays and Etihad Crystal Cargo, Etihad Airways is changing the way people see the world.
For more information about this award-winning aviation group, please visit www.etihad.ae.
