SINGAPORE, 21 June 2023: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, touched down for the first time in Lisbon on Sunday, 18 June, marking the launch of scheduled services between Abu Dhabi and the Portuguese capital.
The inaugural flight, EY63, was celebrated at Abu Dhabi Airport before take-off with His Excellency Fernando d’Orey de Brito e Cunha Figueirinhas, Ambassador of the Republic of Portugal to the UAE and Chris Hedlin, Etihad’s Vice President Network Planning.
On arrival in Lisbon, Etihad’s captains waved UAE and Portuguese flags from the cockpit to celebrate the new air link.
The new service flies every Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with 28 seats in business and 262 seats in economy.
Etihad Airways chief executive officer Antonoaldo Neves said: “As we expand our global network, we’re thrilled to be flying for the first time to Lisbon. We look forward to welcoming guests to visit the historic city of Lisbon while also connecting the people of Portugal with the UAE and destinations across the Middle East, Asia and Australia.”
Initially confirmed as a seasonal route, Etihad Airways has extended the service to the winter season to make it a year-round operation in response to strong travel demand.
Lisbon was recently voted “Leading City Break Destination” and “Leading Seaside Metropolitan Destination” at the 2022 European edition of the World Travel Awards, proving its appeal to holidaymakers.
