Etihad Airways has introduced the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner on its daily service between Abu Dhabi and Maldives for the winter season.
Etihad Airways will operate the next-generation 787 Dreamliner aircraft on its daily morning service from Abu Dhabi to Male until April 30, 2020.
The two-class 787-9 Dreamliner features Etihad Airways’ next-generation Business and Economy cabins configured with 299 seats — 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats.
The morning service will continue to be supplemented by a four times weekly overnight departure which uses a two-class A320 aircraft. However, frequency on this service will be increased to daily flights between December 17 and January 9, 2020.
Etihad Airways launched daily scheduled flights between the capital cities of the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives in November 2011. Since then, the airline has increased the frequency on the Abu Dhabi-Male route to 11 services a week.
Etihad Airways joins a group of major international airlines increasing their capacity and offering premium flying experiences to the popular Indian Ocean holiday destination of the Maldives.
On September 1, Singapore Airlines swapped its existing Airbus A330-300 jet with the new Dreamliner for its Singapore-Male service.
Air France had in 2018 increased capacity on its service to the Maldives by replacing the existing Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
Italian leisure airline Neos had in 2017 deployed its first 787 Dreamliner jet on its operations to the Maldives, making the island nation the first destination on its network to be served using the revolutionary aircraft.
December to April is considered the peak tourist season, as these months constitute summers in Maldives. Between December and April, the islands boast of dry weather, making it ideal for tourists to travel and enjoy the tropical environment.
Resorts across the archipelago organise special activities for the festive season, which falls during the peak tourist season.