Etihad expands network after Wizz Air exits Abu Dhabi routes

Etihad Airways is preparing to launch flights to several destinations affected by Wizz Air’s exit from its Abu Dhabi operations.

Etihad, which is based in Abu Dhabi, announced on Tuesday that it would introduce flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan; Baku, Azerbaijan; Bucharest, Romania; Medina, Saudi Arabia; Tbilisi, Georgia; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; and Yerevan, Armenia.

Wizz Air currently flies from Abu Dhabi to all of those destinations, except Tbilisi.

The Hungarian budget airline said yesterday that it would suspend its Abu Dhabi joint venture with the ADQ sovereign wealth fund, which owns Etihad, blaming persistent engine issues, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and regulatory challenges.

Etihad said its services to all of the new routes would begin in March, except Medina, which will be operational from November.