Etihad to start Cape Town flights in September

Etihad Airways will begin services from its Abu Dhabi base to the South African city of Cape Town on 30 September 2009. The new Cape Town flights will operate via Etihad's current daily, Airbus A330, service to South Africa's commercial capital Johannesburg.

It will be Etihad's second destination in South Africa and its fifth on the African continent, joining Khartoum, Cairo and Casablanca.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways' Chief Executive, said: “Etihad Airways is committed to expanding its flight network across the world and we are delighted to add flights to Cape Town to our schedule from September. In the coming 12 months demand for flights to South Africa will grow immensely, especially with the 2010 FIFA World Cup next summer.”

Etihad expects that the new Cape Town service will be welcomed by the South African expatriate community living in the UAE, which now stands at approximately 40,000 people.