After commencing direct flights to Jaipur and revealing its 20th-anniversary livery on a brand-new Airbus A321neo earlier this month, Etihad Airways has added yet another destination to its growing network with the launch of direct flights to Bali. On June 25, 2024, the inaugural flight was celebrated at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport before take-off. Upon arrival in Denpasar, the aircraft was welcomed by a water cannon salute.

The new service between Abu Dhabi and Bali, Indonesia, will operate four times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. A Boeing 787-9 will serve passengers on this route. The twin-engined long-haulier features a two-class cabin configuration with 28 Business Studios and 262 seats in the Economy section. In addition to in-flight entertainment, passengers can use Wi-Fi aboard the aircraft.

The outbound flight – EY 476 – departs from Abu Dhabi at 22:25 and arrives in Bali at 11:35 the next day. The return leg – EY 477 – leaves Denpasar and lands in the UAE’s capital at 18:45 and 23:45, respectively. All times mentioned are local.

Also Read: Etihad And EgyptAir To Expand Codeshare Partnership

UAE’s national carrier, Etihad Airways, completes 20 years of service this year. And to mark the occasion, it has adorned a brand-new Airbus A321neo with a busy and sophisticated livery. Per the airline, the 20th-anniversary livery design depicts its history and how the carrier has developed to become one of Abu Dhabi’s significant home-grown brands over the last 20 years. The decal wraps are on both sides of the aircraft’s fuselage in both Arabic and English.

The aircraft showcased here is one of the six new A321neos that Airbus recently delivered to Etihad. The single-aisle jets’ propulsion comes from CFM LEAP 1A engines, which offer up to 20 per cent more efficiency than the competition. Etihad expects to receive over 20 new aircraft in 2025.

Etihad’s newly liveried jet will serve multiple routes, including flights to India and the Middle East. The airline recently commenced services to Jaipur, India.

SalamAir, with its base in Muscat, Oman, has announced a new route to India. Starting July 11, 2024, the low-cost carrier will begin operating two weekly flights on Thursdays and Saturdays to Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India.

SalamAir aims to have robust connectivity in the subcontinent region. Besides the newly announced route, the airline recently added Delhi and Cairo to its growing network of destinations. Earlier this month, it confirmed services to two new points in Pakistan – Islamabad and Lahore.

Back in March 2024, Etihad confirmed that it would add two new routes to its summer schedule. One of them was between Abu Dhabi and Jaipur. As promised, that sector went live on June 16, 2024. On this route, UAE’s national carrier will operate four weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. An Airbus A320 family aircraft featuring a two-class configuration – Business and Economy – will serve passengers on this route.

The outbound flight – EY 0366 – departs from UAE’s capital at 03:05 and arrives in Jaipur at 08:05. The return flight – EY 0367 – leaves the capital of Rajasthan at 11:00 and arrives in Abu Dhabi at 13:00. All times mentioned are local. Those catching connecting flights to the USA can also use the US Customs and Border Protection facility at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport.

Jaipur becomes Etihad’s 11th destination in India. Over the past 12 months, the airline has increased its capacity to the Indian market by one-third.

Also Read: Etihad And EgyptAir To Expand Codeshare Partnership

Vietnam’s national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, has launched direct flights to Manila from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh to become the first Vietnamese carrier to offer nonstop service to the capital of the Philippines. The inaugural flight – VN648 – left Ho Chi Minh City at 00:50 on June 17, 2024, and landed in Manila (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) at 04:20 the same day.

The carrier will operate seven weekly nonstop flights between Vietnam and the Philippines. These comprise four weekly services on the Ho Chi Minh – Manila route on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and three weekly flights on the Hanoi – Manila route on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

On the newly introduced routes, Vietnam Airlines aims to serve passengers and help strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. Besides ferrying tourists and business travellers, the new flights will help approximately 30,000 Vietnamese people residing in the Philippines and nearly 7,000 Filipinos living in Vietnam.

Indian low-cost airline Akasa Air has added a new international destination to its ever-expanding network. From June 15, 2024, the carrier launched a daily flight linking Mumbai with Riyadh. The outbound flight – QP 0567 – departs Mumbai at 20:05 and lands in Riyadh at 21:55. After an hour’s wait, the return service – QP 0568 – leaves the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at 22:55 and arrives in India’s financial capital at 05:35 the next day. All times mentioned are local.

Riyadh has become the third international destination for Akasa Air. The airline’s first overseas destination was Doha, Qatar, where it commenced flight operations in March of this year. The carrier is also accepting bookings for Jeddah, KSA. In the coming months, Akasa Air will add more international locations to its route map. It has already garnered traffic rights to Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Medina.

Akasa Air operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet. It has 24 aircraft in its fleet and another 202 on order. Of those, 150 were ordered in January 2024.

Under new ownership, Air India has been busy going from strength to strength. The latest development that furthers the cause comes from Vijayawada, the second-largest city in Andhra Pradesh. From there, Air India has launched direct daily flights to Mumbai. Besides strengthening the links between the cities, the nonstop service will provide passengers with more options to reach Maharashtra’s capital, a significant connecting point for several international carriers offering flights to the North Americas, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

An aircraft from the Airbus A320 family will depart Mumbai at 15:55, carrying flight number AI598, and land in Vijayawada at 17:45. The return service—AI599—will leave Vijayawada at 19:10 and arrive in Mumbai at 21:00.

Also Read: Air India To Start Bengaluru-London Gatwick Service

Muscat-headquartered low-cost airline SalamAir has announced the addition of two new destinations in Pakistan. Starting July 8, 2024, the carrier will operate five weekly flights to Islamabad. Then, beginning the following day, three weekly services to Lahore will further strengthen the airline’s reach in the subcontinent region. Besides these two cities, SalamAir operates weekly services to four other destinations in Pakistan.

The airline recently introduced services to Cairo and Delhi. It also bolstered its seasonal calendar with flights to Tirana, Baku, and Almaty. During the Khareef season, SalamAir links Salalah with Bahrain, Fujairah, and Sohar.