Etihad: First Int. Airline to Fly to Beijing Post-COVID

DALLAS - UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways (EY) will be the first international airline to resume flights to China since the pandemic as part of the latest mandate of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council. EY will deploy its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Beijing (PEK) starting June 29.

The airline commented, "Etihad Airways is delighted about the resumption of passenger services between Abu Dhabi and Beijing, our second service to resume to China,” said Martin Drew, senior vice president of global sales and cargo at Etihad Aviation Group.

“China has always been an important strategic market for Etihad, and the resumption of direct flights between the two capital cities will further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the United Arab Emirates.”

https://twitter.com/etihad/status/1540976520092606465?cxt=HHwWgoCz9eD-0uIqAAAA

Flight Schedule

EY 888Abu Dhabi 18:00 pmBeijing05:25am+1Boeing 787-9EY 889Beijing02:10 amAbu Dhabi07:10 amBoeing 787-9

There is, however, a temporary cap on the number of passengers that can fly the once-a-week route to China's capital city that's been imposed by Chinese authorities.

Etihad's scheduled service from AUH to Shanghai (PVG) resumed back in July 2020 to meet the huge demand of passengers traveling between the UAE and China - a route operated by a Boeing 777-300ER.

Featured image: Lorenzo Giacobbo/Airways