Etihad has announced it will change departure times on a number of flights between the UAE and the US to provide more convenient connections to flights to and from the Indian Subcontinent.
Flights affected include the daily Y151 flight to Chicago, which will move from a 9.30am departure to 3.40am and the three flights a week Toronto service EY141, will depart at 2.50am rather than the current time 10.25am.
Return flight EY150 from Chicago will arrive in Abu Dhabi at 12.20pm, and EY140 from Toronto will arrive at 12.05pm, which will allow for faster connection times through the hub at a non-peak period.
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The new schedule will see the return flight from New York, EY102, depart JFK three hours later than it currently does to ensure its arrival in Abu Dhabi to meet the early afternoon bank of flights to the ISC.
Changes to Chicago and Toronto services have been made in conjunction with Etihad Airways’ key partners, American Airlines and Air Canada in North America, and Jet Airways in India.
The partner airlines will implement new codeshare flights as well as re-accommodate guests who are affected by the new schedule.
Airline chief strategy and planning officer, Kevin Knight said new scheduling will support demand for travel between the Indian Subcontinent and North America, which has grown year-on-year.
“The new schedule will create a more even balance of Etihad Airways’ flights to North America across the early morning and mid-morning banks. This will result in fewer passengers transiting through the hub at peak periods and will enhance the customer experience.”
Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways chief strategy and planning officer
Passengers on the retimed outbound Chicago flight will continue to be processed through United States Preclearance at Abu Dhabi Airport, following the recent expansion of the facility’s hours of operation to include early morning flights to the US.
Etihad has a new preclearance system in place that allows its US-bound passengers to pass through customs in Abu Dhabi.
US Preclearance allows passengers to conveniently pass through all required checks including US customs, immigration and security while in Abu Dhabi before they board their flight, enabling them to avoid queues on arrival in the US and arrive as domestic passengers.
Passengers on all Etihad Airways flights from Abu Dhabi to the United States, which also includes Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York JFK, and Washington DC, are processed through US preclearance.
Read more about US preclearance here.