The Chinese market is of primary importance to Etihad and it is one of the largest economic and financial centres. Due to its financial and economic features, Shanghai plays a vital role in the Etihad Airways network. On Tuesday, Etihad Airways announced its plans to strengthen air connectivity between China and UAE in the coming year.
There will be an increase in the frequency of flights on the Abu Dhabi-Shanghai route. According to Martin Drew, the vice president at Etihad Aviation Group, Etihad looks forward to welcoming more travelers in 2023. The Airways is committed to developing its operation in China.
Etihad Airways Introduces its Fleet
Since China announced the easing of the Covid restrictions, there has been an increase in the to-and-fro travel demands. Etihad announced their new plans to add new flights due to this surge in travel demands. The airways announced the introduction of Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft to meet the increase in travel demands.
Due to regulatory approval, the airline will fly two times per week using the modern 777 aircraft and Boeing 787 to Pudong International Airport. A two times a week service to Guangzhou and a weekly flight service to Beijing are also combined with five weekly nonstop flights. These launches of nonstop flights will begin in February 2023.
The flight will help to free up the capacity for any increased frequencies on the existing routes. According to the airline, it will also enable the easy launching of various new destinations. Etihad has started the training and recruitment teams such as the technical ground staff in preparation for the new flight.
There are operating long-haul passenger flights to the top three Chinese gateways since the commencement of the pandemic. The airline also resumed its first regular international passenger flights which were to Beijing when it reopened for international travel. This international direct travel will commence in June 2022.
The introduction of the new Chinese destination which is Guangzhou to the carrier’s network has set a new record. This operation with Etihad Cargo is the first international airline that operated passenger services and long-haul cargo to the first three gateways in China since the pandemic began. The three gateways are Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing.
There is a clear significance of the market of the Chinese ‘powerhouse’. It is the strengthening of the cargo and passenger services in and out of the region.
China Eased Covid Restrictions
China marked a vital step by stopping the requirements for inbound travelers to go into quarantine. This step shows that the country eased the border curbs after three years of closure. Due to the frequent lockdowns and shuttered borders, the travel market in the country has been hampered.
However, late Monday, the NHC (National Health Commission) announced a requirement for travelers. The requirement for inbound travelers is to show proof of a negative covid test obtained within 48 hours before departure. Currently, these travelers are subject to three days of at-home self-isolation and five days of quarantine at a hotel.
The easing of some of the strict covid restrictions has an influence on the surge in the travel demands to and fro the country.
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