Etihad will add a second daily flight to Rome from its Abu Dhabi hub with codeshare partner Alitalia to discontinue its daily service on the route.
The Abu Dhabi-based carrier will add five extra weekly services to Rome from March 25, with the route rising to double daily from May 1.
Meanwhile, Alitalia will discontinue its daily service between Rome and Abu Dhabu from March.
However, Alitalia will continue to codeshare with Etihad and will also place its code on the new flights.
Guests holding reservations on Alitalia flights between Rome and Abu Dhabi and beyond will be re-accommodated on Etihad services.
Etihad chief executive Peter Baumgartner said the new double-daily schedule will provide more choice to local passengers as well as those around the world.
“Ensuring our guests have greater flexibility and more travel options is a focus for Etihad Airways,” he said.
“Since we launched the Abu Dhabi – Rome route in 2014, it has become one of our most popular services for business and leisure travellers.
“We are therefore delighted to further develop the route with additional services.”
The new early morning departure from Abu Dhabi and midday return service from Rome are well timed to offer links to popular cities across Australia, China, Japan and Korea, according to the airline.
With the additional service, its frequency between Abu Dhabi and its two Italian gateways of Rome and Milan will increase from two flights to three flights a day.
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