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Etihad Airways has announced it will increase its Sydney flight schedule to 14 flights per week beginning 15 December 2026, again increasing its Australian capacity.
The Gulf-carrier revealed it will begin operating twice-daily flights on all weekdays between Sydney and Abu Dhabi, raising capacity from 10 flights per week to 14, with 5,000 seats now on offer in each direction per week.
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It comes after the airline accelerated its plans to service all Sydney flights using its larger Airbus A350-1000s, citing increased demand. The route was previously serviced by Etihad’s fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and 777-300ER jets.
Etihad said the increased schedule will help facilitate more passengers onto same-day connections from Abu Dhabi to destinations across Europe, including Zurich and Geneva, Milan and Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, London, Dublin and more.
Following the return leg to Sydney, passengers will now have additional options for onward same-day connections across Australia and New Zealand via interline partners Qantas, Jetstar and Air New Zealand.
Etihad’s chief revenue and commercial officer, Arik De, said that the new flight schedule gives customers “even greater flexibility” when travelling between Australia and the far-flung destinations of the airline’s network.
The carrier also continues to offer a complimentary one or two-night hotel stay through the Abu Dhabi Stopover programme, which has now been expanded to include the UAE’s “oasis city” Al Ain.
Following the airline’s announcement in December, all flights to and from Sydney are now operated by Etihad’s fleet of Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, boasting 44 lie-flat business seats and 327 economy seats.
“Transitioning Sydney to all-A350 reflects our long-standing commitment to delivering a superior experience for Australian guests,” said Javier Alija, vice president, global sales and distribution of Etihad amid the announcement.
“The change sees our Boeing 777-300ER exit Australian skies, with both Sydney and Melbourne being flown with the latest luxury Etihad product across all cabins.
“With demand for premium capacity continuing to rise, our new A350 product positions us to deliver more luxury, privacy, comfort and premium service from one of our most important international markets.”
In February, Etihad also revealed that it had deployed its newly refurbished Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners on all services to and from Melbourne.
The new Dreamliners, replacing older 787-9s on the route, increase total seats to 303, with economy seats up from 262 to 271 and business up from 26 to 32. Following the upgrade, all seats now boast in-seat charging, new entertainment systems, and access to high-speed onboard Wi-Fi.
According to Etihad, all its services operating to and from Australia now feature its latest-generation cabins, and it is the only Gulf carrier to offer “fully-enclosed doored premium cabins” on all Australian flights.
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