Etihad Airways' Maiden Flight to Madrid Takes Off

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain, so it was only a matter of time before the national airline of the UAE recently commenced its four time a week non-stop service flights to Madrid from Abu Dhabi. 

Visiting a city like Madrid and trying to squeeze in all the wonderful sights can be tough, but we’ve narrowed down a list of top five must-try things to do before you leave – enjoy!

1. Take in the city’s best views from the rooftop terrace at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in C/ Alcalá

2. Tour the Casa de Campo park, with 1,700 hectares (6.6 sq mi) it’s five times bigger than New York's Central Park.

3. Visit the Royal Palace, next to the Catedral de la Almudena, the official residence of the Spanish royal family (although they now live in the Zarzuela Palace).

4. Succumb to your sweet tooth with an indulgent treat (or two) of chocolate con churros – they’re to die for!

5. Explore Madrid's Art Triangle, home to The Museo del Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza.

Etihad Airways’ new flight schedule is as follows:

Flight No.	Origin	Departs	Destination	Arrives	Frequency	Aircraft
EY075	Abu Dhabi (AUH)	02:35	Madrid (MAD)	08:45	Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat	A330-200
EY076	Madrid (MAD)	10:05	Abu Dhabi (AUH)	19:25	Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat	A330-200

Note: All departures and arrivals are listed in local time.

Book your flights to Madrid today!

Etihad Airways to enter new markets in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Tanzania

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced the expansion of its ever-growing network with the addition of Baku, Tbilisi and Dar es Salaam in the second half of 2015.

It’s the ninth new destination to be announced for the year ahead at Etihad, and the company has shown very little signs of slowing down.

The fast-growing Caucasus region will be a major focus area for Etihad next year, with new flights to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, being operated four times a week from 1 October, while flights to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, will be served three times a week from 2 October.

Both cities are famed for their warm hospitality and natural beauty, offering a breath-taking range of botanic gardens and parks, as well as historic attractions, museums and galleries.

Etihad Airways will also commence a daily flights to Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, from 1 December 2015, providing access to one of East Africa’s most important economic and government centres, and the country’s many tourist attractions, including pristine beaches, wildlife safaris, and the world’s highest free-standing mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro.

Flights to all three destinations will be operated using Airbus A320 aircraft in a two-class configuration, with a total of 16 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class.

Launch schedule of new Etihad Airways routes in 2015:

Destination	Launch Date	Frequency
Kolkata	15 February 2015	Daily
Madrid	29 March 2015	Daily
Entebbe	1 May 2015	Daily
Edinburgh	8 June 2015	Daily
Hong Kong	15 June 2015	4 per Week
Algiers	17 June 2015	3 per Week
Baku	1 October 2015	4 per Week
Tbilisi	2 October 2015	3 per Week
Dar es Salaam	1 December 2015	Daily

Travel to six new destinations with Etihad airways

• Network grows to 107 passenger and cargo destinations
• New services will increase coverage in Europe, Asia and Africa
• First non-stop flight launched between Abu Dhabi and Brisbane
• First Class cabin to be added on Singapore, Brisbane and Moscow routes

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will launch six new routes in the first half of 2015, offering even more choice and improved connections to travellers worldwide.

Daily flights will commence to Madrid (Spain) and Edinburgh (Scotland) next year, together with the historic state capital of Kolkata (India) and one of the most important business and government centres in East Africa, Entebbe (Uganda).

The airline will also operate four flights a week to the world-class tourism and economic hub, Hong Kong, and three flights a week to Algeria’s vibrant capital and largest city, Algiers.

In addition, Etihad Airways’ existing daily flights to Brisbane (Australia), currently operated via Singapore, will become a direct service from June 2015, offering the first non-stop connection between the city and Abu Dhabi. The route will be operated using a three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with the airline’s brand new First Suite, Business Studio and Economy Smart Seat.

Further service upgrades in June 2015 include the introduction of a three-class Airbus A330-300 aircraft on daily flights to Singapore, and a three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on daytime flights to Moscow, marking the debut of First Class cabins on both of the existing routes.

Launch schedule of new Etihad Airways routes in 2015:

Destination	Launch Date	Frequency
Kolkata	15 February 2015	Daily
Madrid	29 March 2015	Daily
Entebbe	1 May 2015	Daily
Edinburgh	8 June 2015	Daily
Hong Kong	15 June 2015	4 per Week
Algiers	17 June 2015	3 per Week

Low pressure area causes 22 flight cancellations at NAIA

More domestic flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) were cancelled today due to a low pressure area, bringing bad weather to the Visayas, Mindanao and Bicol regions. By 1 p.m. on Tuesday, 22 Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Zest flights had been cancelled at the NAIA Terminals 3 and 4.

Sixteen of the flights were heading to and from Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao, and were originally scheduled to depart Metro Manila as early as 4:40 a.m and arrive as early as 8 a.m.