ETIHAD AIRWAYS LAUNCHES INAUGURAL FLIGHT TO BAKU

Etihad Airways' inaugural flight to Baku is greeted with a customary water cannon salute on arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

(From left to right) Mohammed Al Katheeri, Senior Vice President Strategy and Communications, Abu Dhabi Airports Company, H.E Mohamed Ahmed Hamel Alqubaisi, Ambassador of the UAE in Azerbaijan, Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, H.E Dashqin Mazi Shikarov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan in the UAE, flanked by Etihad Airways Cabin Crew, celebrate the airline's inaugural flight to Baku.

(From left to right) Hareb Al Muhairy, Senior Vice President Sales (UAE, GCC, Levant, Africa), Etihad Airways, Mohammed Al Katheeri, Senior Vice President Strategy and Communications, Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial, Etihad Airways, H.E Mohamed Ahmed Hamel Alqubaisi, Ambassador of the UAE in Azerbaijan, Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, H.E Dashqin Mazi Shikarov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan in the UAE, Ali Al Shamsi, Vice President Global Airports, Etihad Airways, Amina Taher, Vice President Corporate Affairs, Etihad Aviation Group, flanked by Etihad Airways Cabin Crew, celebrate the airline's inaugural flight to Baku.

(From left to right) Ahmed Saif Bedwawi, Airport Manager Baku, Etihad Airways, Nahid Baghirov, Chairman, Azerbaijan Tourism Authority, Peter Baumgartner, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, Saeed Mohammad Ahmed, Country Manager Azerbaijan, Etihad Airways, Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial, Etihad Airways, Eldar Hahiyev, Vice President & Executive Director, Azerbaijan Airlines, H.E Mohamed Ahmed Hamel Alqubaisi, Ambassador of the UAE in Azerbaijan, Hareb Al Muhairy, Senior Vice President Sales (UAE, GCC, Levant, Africa), Etihad Airways, Ali Al Shamsi, Vice President Global Airports, Etihad Airways, celebrate the launch of the airline's inaugural flight to Baku with a ceremonial cake-cutting.

Azerbaijani dance group, Yalli, give a traditional Bayram performance at a special event in Baku to celebrate Etihad Airways’ inaugural flight to the capital of Azerbaijan

·         First scheduled service linking the UAE and Azerbaijani capitals

·         New codeshare partnership with Azerbaijan Airlines

·         Appointment of new Country Manager Azerbaijan

Abu Dhabi, UAE – Etihad Airways has launched the first ever scheduled flights linking Abu Dhabi and Baku.

The inaugural flight, EY297, departed Abu Dhabi yesterday carrying a special delegation including diplomats, dignitaries, media representatives, and senior members of Etihad Airways’ management team. On arrival in Baku, the aircraft was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute, followed by the customary display of the Emirati and Azerbaijani national flags from the cockpit windows.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are tremendously excited to be launching scheduled flights between Abu Dhabi and Baku, the only scheduled service linking the two capitals. There is strong demand from both markets for a direct, full-service operation on the route, and we have responded to this increasing customer requirement. The new flights will further boost traffic from the UAE and strengthen the bilateral relations between the two nations.

“The visa waiver programme introduced for UAE nationals by Azerbaijan in 2015 has greatly stimulated interest in the country, resulting in a surge of visitors since its implementation.”

Etihad Airways and Azerbaijan Airlines recently announced a codeshare partnership which now sees Azerbaijan Airlines place its 'J2' code on Etihad Airways services between Baku and Abu Dhabi.

Under this partnership, Azerbaijan Airlines guests will be able to book codeshare flights to and from Abu Dhabi and connect onto Etihad Airways’ extensive global network.

Jahangir Asgarov, President of Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC, said: "Azerbaijan Airlines and Etihad Airways are long-standing partners in civil aviation. The launch of joint flights between our two airlines will allow Azerbaijani citizens to further expand their global reach, attracting increased numbers of tourists and creating more opportunities for business travellers."

Etihad Airways has appointed Saeed Mohammad Ahmed as its Country Manager Azerbaijan. A UAE national, he is an experienced aviation professional whose previous role with the airline was Business Development Manager for the US based in Chicago. In his new position he will be responsible for the strategic and commercial success of the new route, and for developing business relationships with key Azerbaijani corporations and the travel industry.

Flying three times a week using a 136-seat Airbus A320, configured with 16 seats in Business Class and 120 in Economy Class, the new flights will operate every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, providing optimal daylight timings for guests departing and arriving in Abu Dhabi and Baku. The schedule provides convenient connections to and from the airline’s global network and has been timed evenly throughout the week to provide a mix of weekend, short stay and business travel options.

Schedule

Flight No.	Origin	Departs	Destination	Arrives	Frequency	Aircraft
EY297	Abu Dhabi	10:10	Baku	13:15	Wed, Fri, Sat	A320
EY298	Baku	16:30	Abu Dhabi	19:25	Wed, Fri, Sat	A320

Images of the inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi to Baku can be downloaded from: https://we.tl/gRbvYzENcm

About Etihad Aviation Group

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the Etihad Aviation Group is a diversified global aviation and travel group with a business model driven by partnership and an innovative approach to growth. Etihad Aviation Group comprises five business divisions – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates; Etihad Airways Engineering; Etihad Airport Services; Hala Group and Airline Equity Partners. For more information, please visit: theetihadaviationgroup.com.

About Etihad Airways

From its Abu Dhabi base, Etihad Airways flies to 103 international passenger and cargo destinations with its fleet of 115 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, was established by Royal (Emiri) Decree in July 2003, and in 2017 carried 18.6 million passengers. For more information, please visit: etihad.com.

For more information contact:

Name: James Sanderson

Corporate Affairs

Etihad Aviation Group

Tel: + 971 50 616 4943

Email:  jsanderson@etihad.ae