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Etihad Airways to Enhance Abu Dhabi-London Heathrow Services with Additional Flight for Summer 2025 Etihad Airways to Enhance Abu Dhabi-London Heathrow Services with Additional Flight for Summer 2025

Etihad Airways is poised to expand its operations between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) by acquiring an additional daily slot from American Airlines for the upcoming summer 2025 season.

This new arrangement, effective from March 30 to October 25, will allow Etihad to introduce a fifth daily flight on the 3,426-mile (2,977-nautical mile) route, as revealed in documents released by Airport Coordination Ltd, the slot coordinator. The slot was previously utilized by American Airlines for its flights connecting LHR with several U.S. cities, including Philadelphia and Dallas/Fort Worth.

The new Etihad service, designated as EY703/704, will utilize an Airbus A321, making it the longest route in the airline’s network for this aircraft type, surpassing the current record of the route from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. According to data from CAPA – Centre for Aviation, Etihad currently operates nine A321s, in addition to six A321neos that were previously part of the fleet of Bamboo Airways from Vietnam. The first A321neo was integrated into Etihad’s fleet in May 2024. Presently, Etihad operates four daily flights from Zayed International Airport (AUH) in Abu Dhabi to LHR, utilizing a combination of A380-800, Boeing 787-9, and 787-10 aircraft.

The airline offers approximately 21,000 two-way seats weekly between the two destinations, based on data from OAG Schedules Analyser. This planned expansion comes at a time when British Airways is set to suspend its flights between LHR and AUH starting in late March due to supply chain challenges related to the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines that power its fleet of 787 aircraft.

British Airways will temporarily halt its daily service from March 30 through October 25. With this strategic move, Etihad aims to strengthen its presence on the crucial Abu Dhabi-London route, offering travelers more options and enhancing connectivity in light of British Airways' service suspension.