Etihad Airways to operate iconic Airbus A380 on Mumbai-Abu Dhabi route

Mumbai: The UAE national carrier Etihad Airways on Wednesday said it will operate its iconic Airbus A380 plane to Mumbai for a special four-month period, starting September 1.

The move comes against the backdrop of Etihad completing two decades of its operations in Mumbai, the airline said in a statement.

The airline currently offers nonstop services between Abu Dhabi and 11 Indian cities, with plans for further expansion.

Starting from September 1 until December 31, the double-decker (A380) aircraft will operate three weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Mumbai, Etihad said.

Etihad said its relationship with India has deepened (fuhrer) since the launch of the first flight to Mumbai on September 26, 2004.

"To kick off our celebrations for 20 years of service to Mumbai and India, we are introducing our A380 on the Mumbai route.

"While this iconic aircraft is typically reserved for long-haul journeys, for our 20 years of celebrations of flying to India, we will showcase the A380 on three-days a week for a period of four months," said Arik De, Etihad's Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer.