Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is strengthening its presence in Barcelona after almost six years since its first direct connection and a pandemic. A few months ago, the company added new weekly frequencies with El Prat Airport, reaching up to 10 flights per week, with three days a week having two flights ---Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday---, in the morning and at night. The goal now is to have "soon" two daily connections, which means growing to 14 flights per week, as explained by the Vice President of Sales and Distribution, Javier Alija, a Catalan from Cambrils who has been in Abu Dhabi for more than ten years.
The first route between El Prat and Zayed International Airport was in November 2018. Etihad Airways started in Barcelona with five weekly flights and, just two months later, it switched to daily frequency, something unusual, as Alija points out, a growth clearly accelerated by the pull of the major fair held in the Catalan capital, the Mobile World Congress (MWC).
The pandemic disrupted the business plans of many sectors, and tourism was one of the most affected. In the case of Etihad Airways, it only interrupted operations at El Prat between mid-March and early May. Thus, it became the first intercontinental airline to return to the city, with between one and two weekly frequencies. It did so with a focus on air cargo thanks to a local pharmaceutical sector that continued to export its products despite the pandemic, in addition to taking advantage of flights from Abu Dhabi to bring masks from China.
In addition to Barcelona, the flag carrier connects in Spain with Madrid, also with 10 weekly flights and the forecast of reaching 14 weekly flights, and will resume its connection with Malaga this summer. The direct connection with the Andalusian city will begin in June, with three weekly flights. It is expected to be able to extend this route throughout the year, considering that many Emiratis have second homes on the Costa del Sol. A commitment to the country that intensifies with rumors of Girona sponsorship next season.
With a 20-year trajectory, Etihad Airways operates 80 international destinations, with a special emphasis on Europe and Southeast Asia, and has a fleet of almost 90 long-haul aircraft. In 2023, an expansion year, it added 15 new routes, such as Kolkata, Osaka, and Bali, with a 30% growth in seats, and also incorporated 16 new aircraft, a key piece to be able to reach more cities. In total, it reached 14 million customers and recorded 364 million euros in profits last year. With a global workforce of more than 9,700 employees, the airline's European headquarters are located in Paris. In Spain, the offices are in Madrid.
Looking ahead to 2030, the company wants to reach 125 destinations, 160 aircraft, and 33 million customers. The recently inaugurated expanded Zayed International Airport, with a capacity for 45 million passengers annually, will contribute to this. This strategy is part of the desire to diversify the economy of the United Arab Emirates by betting on tourism, with 3 million visitors in 2023 and the goal of reaching 10 million in 2030.