eTurbo News
Juergen T Steinmetz
Etihad Airways has introduced the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its daily service from Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to Casablanca, the Kingdom of Morocco’s largest city and commercial hub.
On arrival in Casablanca, the aircraft was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute.
Etihad Airways also chose to celebrate the occasion, and its commitment to the Moroccan travel market, with a special dinner held in Casablanca. Guests included diplomats, dignitaries, media representatives, Moroccan corporate partners, travel trade, and senior members of Etihad Airways’ management team.
Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial, Etihad Airways, said: “The introduction of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the Abu Dhabi to Casablanca route demonstrates our clear commitment to the very important Moroccan market.
“Travellers between the two cities will now be able to experience the unparalleled levels of comfort, entertainment and inflight connectivity of this next-generation aircraft, and to seamlessly connect through the Abu Dhabi hub to our network across the Gulf, Asia and Australia.
“More importantly, we are here to celebrate the special relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Morocco – a relationship which is deep-rooted in language, shared values, tourism and trade.”
Etihad Airways’ three-class version of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner features 8 private First Suites, 28 Business Studios and 199 Economy Smart Seats.
The introduction of the aircraft has seen a scheduling change which optimises timings for customers travelling to and from Casablanca. Etihad Airways maintains a morning arrival into Casablanca, the only early service from the UAE, and now operates a revised mid-morning return flight that provides an earlier, more convenient evening arrival time in Abu Dhabi, also improving connectivity to a wider network of destinations including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo.
To meet summer peak travel demand, Etihad Airways has also added a third weekly service to the Moroccan capital, Rabat. The extra flight will operate on Saturdays until 12 May, and also from 30 June to 29 September.
Etihad Airways operates a codeshare partnership with Royal Air Maroc (RAM), providing its customers with onward connections onto the Moroccan flag carrier’s services from Casablanca to Agadir, Marrakech and Tangier, and pending approvals, to the West African cities of Abidjan, Conakry and Dakar. Royal Air Maroc codeshares on Etihad Airways operated flights to and from Abu Dhabi to Casablanca and Rabat.
New Boeing 787 Dreamliner schedule to Casablanca:
Effective 1 May 2018 (timings local):
PHOTO 2: (From left to right, flanked by Etihad Airways Cabin Crew) Marwan Bin Hachem, Manager Government & International Affairs, Etihad Airways; Ali Al Shamsi, Vice President Global Airports, Etihad Airways; Khaled Almehairbi, Senior Vice President Abu Dhabi Airport, Etihad Airways; H.E. Ali Salem Al Kaabi, Ambassador Extraordinary of the United Arab Emirates to The Kingdom of Morocco; H.E. Mohamed Sajid, Moroccan Minister of Tourism and Air Transport; Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial, Etihad Airways; Hareb Al Muhairy, Senior Vice President Sales, Etihad Airways; Mohamed Al Farsi, Manager Travel Services, Hala Travel Management
(From left to right, flanked by Etihad Airways Cabin Crew) H.E. Ali Ibrahim Alhoussani, Advisor of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court for Kingdom of Morocco Affairs; Hareb Al Muhairy, Senior Vice President Sales, Etihad Airways; H.E. Abdullah Bin Obaid Al-Hinai, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to The Kingdom of Morocco; H.E. Ali Salem Al Kaabi, Ambassador Extraordinary of the United Arab Emirates to The Kingdom of Morocco; H.E. Mohamed Sajid, Moroccan Minister of Tourism and Air Transport; Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial, Etihad Airways; Khaled Almehairbi, Senior Vice President Abu Dhabi Airport, Etihad Airways; Ali Al Shamsi, Vice President Global Airports, Etihad Airways, celebrate the introduction of the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights to Casablanca with a ceremonial cake-cutting
About Etihad Aviation Group
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Aviation Group is a diversified global aviation and travel group driven by innovation and collaboration. Etihad Aviation Group comprises five business divisions – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates; Etihad Airways Engineering; Etihad Airport Services; Hala Group and Airline Equity Partners.
About Etihad Airways
From its Abu Dhabi base, Etihad Airways flies to 93 international passenger and cargo destinations with its fleet of 111 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, was established by Royal (Emiri) Decree in July 2003. For more information, please visit: etihad.com.
