United Arab Emirates (UAE) flag carrier Etihad Airways has celebrated the fifth anniversary of non-stop services between Abu Dhabi and Khartoum with the introduction of a fifth weekly flight on the route. The airline commenced operations to the capital of Sudan in July 2006, and since then has carried more than 200,000 travellers and nearly 6.5 million tons of cargo on the route.

“Our services to Khartoum have exceeded our expectations over the past five years, and we are pleased to be able to build on this success with an additional flight,” explained James Hogan, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways. “Khartoum is a special destination for us due to the established cultural and commercial ties between Sudan and the UAE.”

“Etihad has enjoyed consistently high load factors across all cabins since the launch of services between Khartoum and Abu Dhabi in 2006 and we are very proud of that success,” said Mohamed ElNoman, Country Manager for Sudan, Etihad Airways. “The additional weekly flight will open new horizons for our commercial activities in the Sudan and will offer our customers more flexibility in their travel to Abu Dhabi and onto the airline’s worldwide network.”

Etihad currently operates a two class Airbus A320-200 aircraft between Abu Dhabi and Khartoum, configured to carry 136 passengers – 16 in Pearl Business Class and 120 in Coral Economy Class.