Etihad Airways simply introduced its sixth U.S. vacation spot — and it is one among America’s busiest East Coast airports.
The Gulf provider on Friday introduced it plans to launch service to Charlotte Douglas Worldwide Airport (CLT) within the spring of 2026
The nonstop flights between the Southeast hub and Abu Dhabi will get began on Could 6 — just below a 12 months from now, so if you happen to’re hoping to make use of miles to e-book a business-class seat, the primary few flights at the moment are open for reserving.
Including Charlotte will give Etihad a half-dozen U.S. cities, together with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL), the place it is on observe to begin flying in July.
Etihad’s new Charlotte flights
Like its bigger Persian Gulf counterparts in Emirates and Qatar, Etihad can funnel vacationers to almost any nook of the globe through its Zayed Worldwide Airport (AUH) hub situated within the UAE.
Charlotte vacationers will not see the ultra-swanky, TPG Award-winning Etihad Flats first-class product discovered on the provider’s Airbus A380 superjumbos, however the airline is usually identified for a extra upscale expertise.
Learn extra: The very best luxurious suites within the sky and learn how to fly them
Etihad plans to function its CLT-AUH route with a two-cabin Boeing 787-9 that includes its lie-flat business-class product and economic system.
You possibly can see how the itinerary will shake out, beginning subsequent Could. It is an early afternoon, 2:40 p.m. departure from CLT, with the touchdown simply after midday the next day in Abu Dhabi, with a flight time of 13 hours and 45 minutes.
Each day E-newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day e-newsletter
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
It is a 3 a.m. departure, native time, en path to Charlotte on the westbound flight, with a same-day arrival at 10:15 a.m.
Etihad will function the flights between Charlotte and Abu Dhabi 4 instances every week as soon as the service will get began.
Find out how to e-book Etihad with factors
Vacationers hoping to e-book a seat on Etihad have a number of choices.
Plus, Etihad has loyalty partnerships with that enable redemptions by JetBlue’s TrueBlue program and American Airways AAdvantage.
It is value noting, Charlotte is stuffed with AAdvantage loyalists, as a fortress hub for the provider.
Etihad just isn’t American’s solely Gulf accomplice; Doha-based Qatar is a full-fledged Oneworld Alliance member.
Nevertheless, Etihad’s presence in Charlotte ought to provide an attractive new long-haul possibility for flyers.
Etihad will probably be solely the second airline based mostly exterior the U.S. serving Charlotte — along with Lufthansa.
Vacationers flying on Etihad from Abu Dhabi again to Charlotte (or different U.S. locations) could make use of the U.S. preclearance facility, which permits vacationers to undergo passport management and clients earlier than the flight, eliminating the trouble afterward.
Large Boeing order
Etihad’s new path to Charlotte got here to mild a day after the airline introduced a large order of latest long-haul planes from Boeing.
The provider positioned an order for 28 new widebody jets, together with a mixture of extra 787 Dreamliners and Boeing’s newest era (however nonetheless yet-to-be-certified) 777X.
The plane Etihad ordered will be a part of its fleet in 2028 and past, the provider stated Thursday.
Associated studying:
