Etihad Airways Announces New Service to Calgary, Canada

A new record-breaking flight from Abu Dhabi to Calgary has been announced by Etihad Airways on January 29. The airline’s expansion to Calgary will make it the first time they have flown to more than one Canadian city and will also be Calgary’s longest nonstop flight. This new route also marks the first time that Alberta will have passenger flights to and from the Middle East.

First Passenger Flights to Eight North American Airports for Etihad Airways

As the title of this article suggests, Etihad Airways will also have passenger flights to eight airports in North America for the first time. This is a significant milestone for the airline as their previous record was seven airports, even during their expansion period before the pandemic. It is not common for a new route to break so many records simultaneously, making it all the more intriguing.

Etihad Airways to Start Flights to Calgary in November

The new service will begin on November 9, in time for the winter season when demand for travel to and from South Asia is typically high. Etihad will operate four flights per week on the Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Due to Calgary’s high elevation, there may be a payload restriction on the return flight to the Middle East. Coincidentally, Qatar Airways is also rumored to be announcing a new route to Canada, as they have recently obtained more traffic rights.

New Route Details

The article does not mention which configuration of the Boeing 787-9 will be used for the Abu Dhabi to Calgary route. The aircraft has three layouts, with seating ranging from 226 to 303. However, based on data from Cirium Diio, it is likely that the 303-seater layout will be used as it is the most commonly used layout for Etihad’s flights to North America. Additionally, this layout is less premium, making it a more practical choice for this new route.

The distance between Abu Dhabi and Calgary is 6,243 nautical miles (11,562 km) each way, making it Etihad’s third-longest 787-operated service this year. This route will also be the airline’s sixth-longest overall, after Atlanta, Sydney, Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, and Melbourne.

Flight Schedule and Market Focus

The flight schedule for Etihad’s Abu Dhabi to Calgary route is four times a week, departing at 8:45 am and arriving at 12:20 pm. The return flight from Calgary to Abu Dhabi will depart at 6:05 pm and arrive at 7:00 pm the following day. This departure time from Abu Dhabi is within the airline’s largest departure bank to North America, while the arrival time back home is within the secondary and smaller arrivals bank. However, this will not have a significant impact as many Etihad flights depart for South Asia after 9:00 pm.

The most relevant and significant markets for Etihad on this new route will be Delhi