Etihad Airways, a leading Middle East airline, is leveraging the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as a springboard to expand into new Asian markets, citing the city’s robust aviation infrastructure and the strong demand for both passenger and freight services across the region.
The United Arab Emirates-based airline resumed direct passenger flights between the UAE capital Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong on Monday, now offering five flights a week.
Resuming passenger flights to Hong Kong is “part of our strategy to increase our footprint in the Asia region,” Majed Al Marzouqi, Etihad’s chief operations and guest officer, said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.
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He highlighted the rising travel demand between the two places, driven by Hong Kong’s financial and business events and its tourism offerings, such as theme parks and museums. He added that Etihad’s network enables Hong Kong passengers to connect to destinations across the Middle East, Europe and North Africa via Abu Dhabi.
Etihad previously operated daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong starting in 2015, before suspending the route in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beyond flight services, Al Marzouqi said Etihad is engaging with partners in Hong Kong, from aviation companies to tourism agencies, to promote various sightseeing offerings in the UAE, hoping the collaborations will translate into ticket sales.
He outlined plans to team up with Hong Kong-based airlines to enhance Etihad’s local presence.
A veteran pilot himself, Al Marzouqi praised Hong Kong International Airport’s top-notch facilities. With growing trade and cargo demand between the Middle East and Hong Kong, Etihad expects to deepen its partnership with HKIA, one of the world’s busiest cargo airports.
“We have maintained our cargo operation in Hong Kong for the past 15 years,” he said, adding that the resumed direct flights will help boost freight capacity.
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Recognizing the Chinese mainland as a key regional partner, Etihad operates direct routes to Beijing and Shanghai from Abu Dhabi. In April, the carrier launched a joint venture with Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines, marking a milestone that fast-tracks cooperation in network sharing and frequent-flyer program integration. Al Marzouqi said that Etihad will continue to leverage the growing ties between the UAE and the nation to enhance travel experiences for passengers from both sides.
Buoyed by a strong operational performance — including a record profit of 1.7 billion UAE dirham ($462.9 million) in 2024 — and the delivery of new aircraft, Etihad is actively expanding across Asia. New destinations include Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Hanoi in Vietnam, and Chiang Mai in Thailand.
“We are connecting Asia to Europe, via Abu Dhabi,” Al Marzouqi said.
Contact the writers at williamxu@chinadailyhk.com
