Blitz Bureau
The national airline of the UAE, Etihad Airways, will deploy Airbus A380 to Mumbai for a special four-month period, marking 20 years since its inaugural flight to the city.
The double-decker aircraft will operate three weekly flights between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Mumbai (BOM) from 1 September to December 31. Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer Arik De said, “To kick off our celebrations for 20 years of service to Mumbai and India, we are thrilled to introduce our A380 on the Mumbai route. While this iconic aircraft is typically reserved for long-haul journeys, for our 20 years of celebrations of flying to India, we will showcase the A380 on three-days a week for a period of four months.” The airline currently offers non-stop services between Abu Dhabi and 11 Indian cities, with plans for further expansion.
Etihad is offering special A380- themed fares to celebrate the fourmonth visit to Mumbai, including first class fares of Dh8,380 Abu Dhabi to Mumbai on a return ticket, and Rs190,383 (around Dh8329) Mumbai to Abu Dhabi on a return ticket. In business class, fares of Dh2,380 Abu Dhabi to Mumbai on a return ticket and Rs50,381(aroundDh2,200) Mumbai to Abu Dhabi on a return ticket are up for grabs until 25 August, for travel between 01 September and 13 October. Etihad recently became the first international airline operating in India to launch a Hindi website, allowing customers to access information in their preferred language.