Etihad Airways to launch first China service next year

ETIHAD Airways of the United Arab Emirates plans to launch its first service to China in the first quarter of 2008, Logistics Week reported.

The National Airline of UAE will choose the destination of its first China service between Beijing and Shanghai, the report said.

Etihad has not yet fixed the date of launching but its CEO James Hogan emphasised that thousands of passengers would go to the Beijing Olympics and some expected to fly Eithad.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways started operation in November of 2003 and now has services to 46 world cities up.