Overview
- Etihad, which announced the expansion Monday, April 13, 2026, will add 28 weekly flights to reach 35 services between Abu Dhabi and mainland China.
- The new links connect Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shenzhen to Abu Dhabi, complementing the carrier’s existing daily flight to Beijing Daxing.
- Service begins with daily Shanghai flights on October 1, 2026, followed by Guangzhou daily on March 4, 2027, Hangzhou five weekly the same day, Chengdu four weekly on March 5, and Shenzhen five weekly on March 7.
- All flights will use Boeing 787-9 aircraft with 28 business seats and 262 economy seats to give passengers a consistent onboard experience.
- Every route sits inside Etihad’s joint venture with China Eastern, with cargo support from an SF Airlines partnership, positioning Abu Dhabi as a transfer gateway linking China with the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America.