Gulf newcomer starts Heathrow flights

A new Middle East carrier is to start flights from Heathrow on Sunday. Etihad Airways will fly five times a week between London and Abu Dhabi with introductory return fares starting at £299. The carrier, which was established last July under the patronage of the president ofthe United Arab Emirates, currently has only three leased wide-body aircraft – an Airbus A340-300 and two A330-200s – but plans to double its fleet size by the summer. Etihad currently serves Amman, Damascus, Beirut and Colombo from Abu Dhabi. The London flights will be with A330s in a three-class configuration, Diamond (18 seats), Pearl (36 seats) and Coral (171 seats). Seats in Diamond class have a 75-inch seat pitch while Pearl, claimed to be the first premium economy service offered by any Gulf carrier, has seats with a 49-inch pitch. Coral claims to be a “superior economy class” offering seats with a 32-inch pitch. The airline’s schedule from London features two flights on Saturdays and one a day on Sundays, Thursdays and Fridays. Etihad will operate from Heathrow Terminal 3. The airline is to distribute to the trade via the main GDSs, a spokeswoman said. Report by Phil Davies