Etihad Airways Introduces New Flights To India

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has welcomed 2024 by introducing two new services to the Indian state of Kerala to expand its global network.

The airline commenced daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram on New Year's Day.

These new non-stop services bring the total number of Indian gateways served by Etihad to 10, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Thiruvananthapuram.

Etihad Airways CEO Antonoaldo Neves said that they have "established a fantastic group of non-stop routes between India and Abu Dhabi, providing customers with easier access to our growing network without transiting through one of the main Indian hub airports," WAM reported.

"Seamless and practical connections at Abu Dhabi ensure that our guests can easily access destinations across the GCC, Europe - including our four daily services to London - and North America. Moreover, they have the opportunity to enjoy a fantastic stopover in Abu Dhabi as an integral part of their journey," he added.

The new flights will enhance the accessibility for travelers to Kerala's renowned picturesque countryside and beautiful beaches, thereby boosting tourism in the region. Moreover, it will also allow professionals to visit the rapidly growing business hubs in the area.

Etihad has been expanding its services to India. In 2023, the airline relaunched services to Kolkata and also increased its flight frequencies to Mumbai and Delhi, which are two major routes in India, from two to four per day.

The airline has announced a range of new services in 2024, including flights to Boston starting on March 31 and flights to Kenya beginning on May 1. Furthermore, the airline is all set to schedule more non-stop flights to Nice, France, and direct flights to the Greek isles of Mykonos and Santorini.

Etihad constantly introduces upgrades, whether it is increasing the number of flights or utilizing advanced technology to enhance the overall experience.

Last month, Etihad became the first airline to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in enhancing safety management systems.

This AI-powered platform allows the airline to collect and analyze data including flight reports, maintenance, and training activities. The solution consists of machine learning technologies including Google BERT, Microsoft Azure, and TF-IDF.

The airline implemented this advanced technology in partnership with Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) to support and enhance Etihad's safety processes.