Etihad expands flights to Indian state Kerala

Arabian Business staff writer, May 4th, 2017

Etihad Airways has expanded its services to the southern Indian state of Kerala as it celebrates 10 years of flying to the popular destination.

The airline said it has launched a fourth daily non-stop service between Kozhikode and its Abu Dhabi hub, taking to 63 the total number of weekly services between the UAE capital and its three Kerala gateways of Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.

This represents over 30% of Etihad's frequencies from across 11 Indian cities it serves, it added in a statement.

Kerala’s international appeal as a travel destination, famed for ayurvedic treatments and the world-renowned backwaters, has elevated it into one of India’s top tourist destinations.

Since Etihad's first flight to Kerala in 2007, the airline has flown almost 3.5 million guests to and from the state.

The current capacity includes four flights a day to Kozhikode; thrice-daily to Kochi and double daily to Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala flights are operated with a mix of Airbus 320 and A321 aircraft featuring up to 16 seats in Business Class and 158 in Economy.

In addition, Indian partner Jet Airways operates seven flights a week from Kochi to Abu Dhabi.