Etihad Airways introduces maiden flight to Sanaa

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has launched its inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi to Sanaa.
Etihad Airways serves the Yemeni capital four times a week from Abu Dhabi.
A high-level delegation from Yemen’s political and commercial capital, including Transport Minister Waed Bathib, Tourism Minister Qasim Sallam Said, representatives from the ministry of education and civil aviation security, and senior airport officials received the maiden flight upon its arrival in Sanaa.
Khaled El Mehairbi, Etihad Airways’ SVP-government and aeropolitical affairs, led the airline’s delegation.
It included Hassan Al-Hammadi, SVP-executive affairs and corporate security, and Ali Murtada, VP-sales for the Middle East, Levant and Africa.
Etihad Airways President and CEO James Hogan said: “The launch of direct services to Sanaa is consistent with our strategy of adding depth and scale to our network and targeting areas of growth in emerging markets.”
The launch was celebrated with a reception followed by a banquet attended by the UAE Red Crescent bureau based in Yemen, members of the travel trade and a media delegation from the UAE.
Marking the launch of services, Etihad Airways also will visit Al-Khair Public School and Um Habiba School in the city, where staff and volunteers are due to distribute 1,000 bags filled with stationery and school supplies to students. The effort is arranged in collaboration with the UAE Red Crescent.
More than 90,000 Yemeni nationals live in the UAE and the country is Yemen’s largest regional trading partner, with annual trade valued at over $2 billion, including $1.6 billion in UAE exports.
Overall, the UAE accounts for almost 20 percent of Yemen’s total imports.