Etihad Airways is making a significant move to expand its presence in Central and Eastern Europe. The airline is introducing two brand-new flight routes, marking its first foray into both the Czech Republic and Poland. Starting June 2, 2025, Abu Dhabi will be directly connected to Prague and Warsaw through four weekly flights on each route. These flights will be operated using the comfortable Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
This expansion signifies a strategic commitment by Etihad to bolster its European route portfolio. Before the pandemic, the airline served four destinations in the region: Baku (Azerbaijan), Belgrade (Serbia), Minsk (Belarus), and Moscow Domodedovo (Russia). Currently, Etihad’s operations in the region are limited to Russia, with a daily flight to Moscow Sheremetyevo and bi-weekly flights to St. Petersburg.
These new routes to Prague and Warsaw are unique in that they are currently without direct competition. There are no existing direct flights from Abu Dhabi to the Czech Republic, and the only connection between Abu Dhabi and Poland is offered by Wizz Air, which operates three flights a week from Krakow. Other regional competitors include Emirates and flydubai, both offering daily flights from Dubai to both Prague and Warsaw. Smartwings also operates a weekly flight from Prague to Ras al Khaimah.
The launch of these new routes by Etihad comes at a time when Air France is scaling back its service to Abu Dhabi. According to recent scheduling updates, Air France flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Abu Dhabi will cease operations on October 27th.
This expansion by Etihad Airways highlights its commitment to providing passengers with more travel options and expanding its network to key European markets. The new routes are expected to be popular with both leisure and business travelers seeking direct connections between the United Arab Emirates and these two vibrant Central European destinations.
