Etihad Airways actually wanted to fly to Vienna-Schwechat since mid-May 2020, but the first flight was postponed several times due to Corona. On Sunday the time had come and a Boeing 787-9 from Abu Dhabi landed at Austria's largest airport.

“More and more travelers are returning to the air and we are delighted to be able to offer two weekly flights to Vienna. It is the 65th passenger destination we are adding to our growing network and we are confident that Vienna’s timeless imperial splendor and vibrant cultural scene will appeal to many travelers, ”said Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Etihad Aviation Group.

The golf carrier serves Vienna in the triangle with Milan-Malpensa. Specifically, this means that the plane will start in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, fly to Vienna, then to Milan-Malpensa and then back to Abu Dhabi. For the time being, two round trips per week will be offered, whereby it can be seen from the flight plan data that the aim is to gradually increase to a daily connection. If and when this will be implemented? That depends primarily on two factors: Further development of the pandemic and of course the booking numbers.

“With Etihad we are welcoming a new airline with a new destination at Vienna Airport: Etihad is a strong carrier with an extensive route network and we are delighted with the decision to take a scheduled connection to Vienna. The United Arab Emirates in particular are an important market for Austrian tourism and the new flight connection is a good sign that things are slowly picking up again, ”said Julian Jäger, CEO of Flughafen Wien AG.