British Airways restarts London - Abu Dhabi route

British Airways returned to Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning as flight BA073 touched down at Zayed International Airport, following a four-year pause of the route.

From now on, British Airways will operate a daily flight between London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi all year around  The new route adds to the UK's leading legacy carrier's extensive global network and strengthens connections between UAE and UK.

Flight BA073 to Abu Dhabi departs London Heathrow at 22.25, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 08.30+1.  The inbound flight to London (BA072) departs at 10.10, arriving London Heathrow 15.20.

Elena Sorlini, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: "We extend a warm welcome to British Airways as they start operating at Zayed International Airport with a daily schedule that promises to enrich connectivity and invigorate both business and tourism. Our new award-winning and cutting-edge terminal offers visitors an unparalleled introduction to the vibrant UAE capital, where they will be greeted with Emirati hospitality at its finest."

Calum Laming, Chief Customer Officer at British Airways said: “We are really excited to be celebrating our Abu Dhabi route launch. The new daily flight connects Abu Dhabi with London Heathrow and beyond, providing our customers with another amazing destination within our expansive global network and further growing our connections with the UAE. With four cabins to choose from, including First, we are confident customers will enjoy our exceptional and original British Airways service brought to life by our incredible colleagues.

And on a personal level, it is an honour to return to the fantastic city and Emirate of Abu Dhabi where I was lucky to live for the best part of a decade."

- Special discount for a limited time! Save up to 30% now. 
 

BA Schedule

Season	Flight number	Departing LHR	Arriving AUH	Flight number	Departing AUH	Arriving LHR
Summer ‘24	BA73	22:25	08:30+1	BA72	10:10	15:20
Winter ‘24	BA73	22:25	09:30+1	BA72	11:10	15:20

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi doubled its fleet size during 2022 and reports massive passenger number increase.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the ultra-low-fare airline has announced its outstanding operational results for 2022 with extra capacity, more aircraft and 13 new destinations during the year. 

The joint venture established between ADQ, and Wizz Air Holdings PLC enjoyed a record-breaking 2022 by operating more than 6,000 flights and transporting more than 1.2 million adventurous travellers. The airline carried over 600,000 point-to-point passengers to the UAE in 2022, supporting the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors and unlocking an eclectic mix of travel opportunities for travellers from all classes. 

The airline supports Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) vision to welcome the world to Abu Dhabi, connecting cultures and inspiring generations to embark on journeys of creativity and discovery*. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is looking forward to future growth, in line with the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, and further strengthen the position of the UAE as one of the best destinations in the world for tourism**.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has doubled the size of its fleet and organisation with a 100 percent growth from 4 to 8 state-of-the-art brand-new A321-neo aircraft. The average fleet age is 1 year, ensuring the airline meets its commitment to sustainability with the lowest environmental footprint in the region.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has proudly introduced a new segment of travel in the UAE in line with the country’s socio-economic vision with recent exciting expansions into Central Asia, The Maldives and across the Gulf Region allowing for convenient, self-connecting travel across the wider Wizz Air network via the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is constantly developing the UAE network to share the love of travel with tourists and residents benefitting from hassle-free, point-to-point travel to culturally rich destinations including vibrant cities and natural paradises.

Michael Berlouis, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi said: "We are proud of all our achievements during this record-breaking year and are delighted to carry over one million passengers."

Uzbekistan's Samarkand International Airport welcomes Wizz Air plane.....

Air Marakanda, the operator of recently modernised Samarkand International Airport, is delighted to announce Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the ultra-low-fare UAE airline, has conducted its first flight to Samarkand.

Wizz Air’s aircraft, with a delegation from the company onboard, touched ground this afternoon at Samarkand International’s new terminal and was greeted by Air Marakanda’s leadership. The airline is the second prominent UAE carrier to launch a new route to Samarkand in Q4 2022.

Anton Khodzhajan, General Director of airport management company Air Marakanda LLC, said:  “We are pleased to welcome our new partner, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, whose direct flights between the ancient city of Samarkand and the UAE began today, marking a significant event for Uzbekistan aviation and tourism. The Air Marakanda team has worked hard to bring this about, as it opens up new travel opportunities for residents of Samarkand and the area, and will attract tourists from the Middle East to our beautiful city."

Michael Berlouis, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, said:  “We welcome our seventh and eighth aircraft and are delighted to expand our ever-growing network in Central Asia, a key growth market for Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. The new route into the unmissable and historic region will be operated by two new state-of-the-art Airbus A321neo aircraft which have been recently added to our fleet. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is committed to supporting the long-term growth of the UAE’s travel and tourism sector, providing an eclectic mix of new marvellous destinations. We are continuing to deliver travel options that are more convenient and affordable for everyone and we look forward to seeing you onboard our young and sustainable aircraft soon.”

Flights via Wizz Air from Abu Dhabi to Samarkand will start at only US$48, with two flights per week operated for the remainder of 2022. From 1 January 2023, Wizz Air will fly the route thrice weekly.

Part of ongoing and rapid development of new routes to Uzbekistan’s historic gem - the ancient city of Samarkand - welcoming WizzAir is aligned with Air Marakanda’s and state partner Uzbekistan Airports JCS’s US$80 million expansion of SKD. The new airport will serve the region’s population of 3.9 million and act as a hub for international transit flights.

 

Serving visitors to Uzbekistan’s most frequented tourist sites in, and around, the historic Silk Road city - the modern facility will be able to handle triple the number of passengers than it could previously. Independent research by market research firm, Lufthansa Consulting, forecasts an increase in annual passenger traffic from 480,000 to two million.

Etihad predicts busy holiday period and offers special Black Friday fares......

Fly for less with special fares....

Etihad Airways looks forward to welcoming over 1.5 million travellers at Abu Dhabi International Airport over the busy holiday period between now and the 8th of January and to kick it off,  the airline has some special black Friday offers. 

Fly away with our Black Friday deals 

use this special Promo Code BFNOVGB

Flights departing From the UK.

Fly between 15 Jan 2023 and 20 Jun 2023

Promotion Ends: 29 Nov 2022

 

To get the special fares - book here 

 

Shaeb Al Najjar, General Manager Hub Operations, Etihad Airways, said “There has never been a better time to experience Abu Dhabi, with the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix taking place this weekend and many more attractions to be enjoyed over the winter season. Football fans from around the world will also be flocking to the region ahead of the most exciting football event of the year. As a result, Etihad with its partners, is geared up and ready to host 1.5 million expected guests over the next six weeks. Visitors flying via Abu Dhabi will enjoy the experience from the moment they take off with Etihad’s award-winning Cabin Crew and hospitality.”

Guests flying with Etihad Airways can expect to fly with total peace of mind with services like its quick self-service bag drop facility. The service provides a faster check-in experience and can accommodate a greater number of guests who will then be able to skip the queues.

Once checked-in online, the self-service facilities allow travellers to seamlessly retrieve their booking, print the bag-tag and process their bags in less than two minutes.

Etihad Airways, has been awarded Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The accolade recognises the care and attention to detail the airline’s teams give to customers’ needs throughout their journeys.

 The airline is preparing to welcome over 1.5 million passengers at Abu Dhabi International Airport between 21 November and 08 January 2023 and advises travellers to follow the below tips.

Abu Dhabi Corniche Coast  Photo Etihad Airways

/Etihad Airways travel tips

Get Verified to Fly and check-in online: For destinations with travel restrictions, travellers should visit ‘Manage my booking’ on etihad.com to upload their Covid travel documents. Approval will be shared by email giving passengers confidence that all required documents are in place. Approved passengers can check-in online and obtain their boarding card, then use fast-track ‘Verified to Fly’ desks at the airport, or the self-service facilities.

 

Radisson Blu Opens Two New Hotels in Abu Dhabi

Radisson Blu, the upper upscale hotel brand that has a passion for style and personalised service has announced the opening of two hotels in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Both landmark hotels hold prominent locations, with the Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Abu Dhabi Corniche located on the vibrant and iconic sea walk of Abu Dhabi, while the Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Al Ain is situated in one of the UAE’s cultural gems, known as the Garden the UAE's its natural springs, plantations and lush palm groves.

Tim Cordon, Area Senior Vice President, Middle East and Africa, Radisson Hotel Group, said: “We’re delighted to begin 2019 in such a positive manner with the opening of these amazing properties in the UAE, arriving under the upper upscale Radisson Blu flag. Both properties remain iconic landmarks in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, offering guests the opportunity to enjoy such unique locations. Abu Dhabi continues to flourish as a destination, with significant investment going into demand generators for the tourism sector – from cultural landmarks to entertainment and leisure offerings. We’re proud to be playing a supporting role in this evolution.”

Khalid Anib, Chief Executive Officer, Abu Dhabi National Hotels, said: “We’re pleased to lead our hotels into their next generation under the globally recognized Radisson Blu brand. Both hotels are undergoing extensive renovation works that will see them reach leading standards. Each hotel has its own distinct and attractive offering for both business and leisure segments. We’re confident that our guests will enjoy many memorable moments at our hotels, whilst discovering all that Abu Dhabi and Al Ain has to offer.”