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Paris Upgrade for Etihad

Etihad Airways has revealed its Abu Dhabi-Paris route will become an all-Airbus A380 service later this year.  The UAE-based carrier confirmed plans to upgrade the second of its two daily rotations to the French capital from the current Boeing 777-300ER from October 1.

Etihad’s CEO Peter Baumgartner said: “Paris has always been a very special destination on the Etihad network and the number of visitors from France to Abu Dhabi, and vice versa has continued to show significant growth.  The route has never been more in demand.

“We have seized the opportunity to place our flagship A380 on our second daily flight, following the great reception the aircraft has received from our guests, and to ensure we offer product consistency on the route.  This will also allow us to significantly increase the number of leisure and premium seats available, providing more options for those wanting to travel point-to-point between Abu Dhabi and Paris, two capitals now also united by Louvre museums, or to connect via our Abu Dhabi hub to points all over the Middle East, Asia and Australia.”

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Cobalt Looks East

Cypriot carrier Cobalt Air has signed an interline agreement with Etihad Airways.  The tie-up, announced on June 7, strengthens the Larnaca-based airline’s presence in the Middle East and extends its reach east beyond Abu Dhabi to more than 100 Etihad-operated routes

Cobalt Air’s chief commercial officer Paul Simmons. (Photo Cobalt Air)

Cobalt Air’s CCO Paul Simmons commented: “Cobalt is less than two years old and to be adopted as an interline partner by Etihad Airways, one of the biggest and most prestigious carriers in the world, is a major recognition for us.  We are delighted to start this exciting new relationship and offer Cyprus people more convenient connections beyond Abu Dhabi.  We anticipate great demand year-round from the UAE for our beautiful island and this new connection with Etihad opens the market up even more.  UAE-originating passengers can also fly onwards from Larnaca on our growing network.”

The partnership with Etihad is the latest development for Cobalt, which continues to invest heavily in its product and offering.  The carrier, which joined IATA at the end of last year, has recently introduced the wireless Bluebox Wow IFE, which streams content to personal devices, on all of its aircraft and has rolled out a new business class product – featuring spacious four-abreast seating set at a 40in (101.6cm) pitch – across its fleet.