Etihad set to launch direct flights to Washington

Etihad Airways on Thursday said it would launch non-stop daily flights to Washington DC from March 31, 2013, subject to regulatory approvals. The route will mark the airline's fourth destination in North America after Toronto (launched in October 2005), New York (October 2006) and Chicago (September 2009). "No other UAE carrier is offering non-stop services between DC and the UAE, so this capital-to-capital link is a huge opportunity for Etihad Airways," James Hogan, Etihad Airways president and CEO, said in a statement. The only other major Gulf carrier serving Washington at present is Qatar Airways. "With Qatar Airways already serving Washington, it was always inevitable that Etihad would follow suit, given the political links between Abu Dhabi and Washington," Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research, said. "I expect Emirates to start flights to DC before long as well. They can't afford not to, especially since there are limited US airlines flying to the GCC. "The US seems to be the one key region now where GCC airlines have limited presence, so it makes sense to expand in that market," he told Gulf News. Etihad Airways, meanwhile, stated that the new service would further strengthen the already strong political and econ-omic ties between the National Capital Region and the UAE, quoting last week's data by the US Department of Commerce showing trade between the US and the UAE rising to $18.3 billion (Dh67.22 billion) in 2011, a 43 per cent increase over the year before. "This increase represents the highest trade volume to date between the US and the UAE. It also means that, for the third consecutive year, the UAE is the single largest export market for US goods in the Middle East. The US is the fifth largest trade partner worldwide for the UAE," the carrier said in the statement. "Expanding to the US is highly lucrative not just for leisure travellers but also for business — particularly as we have seen Emirates start flights to Dallas and soon Seattle," aviation analyst Ahmad added. He added that there would be a litany of new routes announced by all the three big Gulf airlines over the "next couple of years" as they take delivery of new jets and continue to seek new markets. Emirati for key position Etihad Airways also announced the appointment of Haitham Al Subeihi, a UAE national, as vice president of sales for Central USA, based in the airline's new Washington DC office. The appointment follows Etihad Airways' announcement that it would commence flights to Washington, its fourth destination in North America, on March 31, 2013, with daily non-stop flights from Abu Dhabi. In his new role, Al Subeihi will oversee the development and launch of the airline's sales strategy in Central USA, particularly growing a strong market presence in the National Capital Region. A strong focus for the region will be supporting local corporate, government and major trade partner accounts, as well as student travel.