Etihad Airways launches Abu Dhabi-Singapore-Brisbane service

The inaugural flight of Etihad Airways touched down at Singapore's Changi Airport recently from the Abu Dhabi, marking the start of the airlines' six weekly flights between Brisbane and the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with a Singapore stopover.

An airline statement said the new service brings to 12 weekly flights between Singapore and Abu Dhabi, with Singapore Airlines operating six flights on this sector.

"Etihad's first flight from Abu Dhabi to Singapore's Changi Airport marks a major milestone for the airline," said Etihad vice president Geert Boven at the welcoming ceremony. "We see a big opportunity in this market with the increasing commercial co-operation."

Besides Abu Dhabi, Singapore is also connected to Dubai in the UAE. At Changi Airport, there are now three airlines serving the Singapore-UAE route: Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Etihad Airways. They operate 116 weekly flights between Singapore, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Said Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority chief Lim Kim Choon: "The launch of Etihad Airways' services comes at a time of strong growth in traffic between the United Arab Emirates and Singapore."