Etihad Airways has started nonstop flights between Abu Dhabi and Calgary, the first direct service between any Gulf city and the western Canadian city.
The sold-out inaugural flight, EY29, landed at Calgary International Airport on Sunday, October 25, Gulf News reported.
The route will operate four times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with business and economy cabins.
Calgary is Etihad’s second destination in Canada after Toronto, and its westernmost gateway in the country.
Captain Majed Al Marzouqi, Etihad’s chief operations and guest officer, said the airline plans to increase the service to daily flights, subject to demand.
“Calgary offers tremendous opportunities for both tourism and business, particularly in the energy sector,” Al Marzouqi said. He added that the route would give passengers one-stop connections to India and the wider subcontinent through Abu Dhabi.
Antonoaldo Neves, chief executive officer of Etihad Airways, called Calgary “an exciting new chapter in Etihad’s growth story.”
Joseph Schow, Alberta’s minister of jobs, economy, trade and immigration, said the route would help connect businesses in the province with markets across the Gulf and support trade, investment and tourism ties.
The Calgary launch follows the start of Etihad’s nonstop Abu Dhabi to Luxembourg service earlier this month.
