Etihad Airways, the national airline of theUnited Arab Emirates, marked its inaugural flight to the Republic of theMaldivesby touching down in Malé to a colourful welcome in the capital.
EY flight 278 was honoured with a traditional water cannon salute and the 146 passengers were greeted by local Bodu beru (big drum) dancers and singers performing on the tarmac.
“This is a very exciting day for Etihad Airways and we are thrilled to add another new destination, particularly one that is so important to the leisure traveller. We look forward to developing strong ties between the UAE and the Maldives and take our responsibility to bring more people to this part of the world very seriously,” Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, Mr James Hogan, said.
The Maldives is made up of close to 1,200 islands grouped into natural atolls; including 200 inhabited islands and 97 resort islands, with a population of close to 300,000 people. The region features deep blue seas, sandy beaches and turquoise reefs, and with its tropical climate and warm temperatures year round, is a renowned honeymoon and leisure destination.
Etihad Airways operates daily flights from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar and travellers can take advantage of these daily flights to visit the Maldives. The airline will operate a daily return service from its home base in Abu Dhabi to Malé International Airport
