Admittedly expansion by a Gulf carrier isn’t exactly front of mind at the moment, as the airlines struggle to operate due to attacks by Iran. But still, airlines are making long term plans, and there’s an interesting development, on that front.
EY9 Abu Dhabi to Chicago departing 2:55AM arriving 8:35AM
EY11 Abu Dhabi to Chicago departing 10:00AM arriving 3:40PM
EY10 Chicago to Abu Dhabi departing 2:00PM arriving 12:30PM (+1 day)
EY12 Chicago to Abu Dhabi departing 9:10PM arriving 7:40PM (+1 day)
Etihad will use two-cabin Airbus A350-1000s for both daily flights, featuring 371 seats, including 44 business class seats and 327 economy class seats. Etihad’s A350 business class experience is phenomenal, in my opinion. If you’re curious, the EY11/12 frequency is the new one. The new flight is already bookable.
It’s interesting to see Etihad be the first Gulf carrier to go double daily to Chicago, since Emirates and Qatar Airways are much bigger, but don’t have that level of service.
What do you make of Etihad doubling Chicago flights?