Etihad unveils special A330-200

Etihad Airways on Thursday took its sponsorship of Manchester City Football Club to new heights with the unveiling of a specially liveried A330-200 aircraft. The new "Blue Moon Rising" livery also marks the commencement of double daily flights between Manchester and Abu Dhabi, effective from August 1, 2011. Etihad currently flies to the UAE's capital city seven times a week. A team of 40 painters worked around the clock for 18 days in Abu Dhabi to paint the A330-200 in the colours of Manchester City. The aircraft, which will operate on the Abu Dhabi-Manchester route, will also serve Milan, Frankfurt, Brussels, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Singapore, Istanbul and destinations throughout the Middle East and India. James Hogan, Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are very proud of our sponsorship of Manchester City Football Club, and of our commitment to the wider community. Manchester has been a key destination for Etihad for five years, and the increase in frequency to double daily indicates our dedication to the region. "Business and leisure travellers from all over the northwest of England can now easily take advantage of the services, whether flying to Abu Dhabi, or further afield to destinations such as Thailand, Singapore or Australia," he said. From / Gulf News