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Etihad Airways has underlined its commitment to Ireland by confirming it will increase frequency on its popular Dublin to Abu Dhabi route to a double-daily service from the start of next April. The Etihad international team – led by Alpna Mathews, Regional General Manager for the Americas, UK and Ireland; and Jeremy Pollock, General Manager for UK & Ireland – briefed the Irish travel media this morning, at Dublin’s Dylan Hotel, on the airline’s plans for its operations in Ireland. Mr Pollock noted that in the year to date, Etihad’s Irish passenger numbers are 19% ahead, year-on-year, which – he said – “underlines the continued strength of demand for long-haul travel from Ireland and the role Etihad plays in connecting Irish guests to the world.” “With strong forward bookings, an upgraded fleet and continued investment in product and service, Etihad is well-positioned for sustained growth in Ireland,” Mr Pollock said. “We remain deeply committed to the [Irish] market, to our partners and to providing seamless connections and premium service to Abu Dhabi and beyond,” he added. Asked about the lingering passenger cap at Dublin Airport, Mr Pollock said Etihad has been given full clearance to forge ahead with its expanded services here and by doing so will return its Irish capacity to pre-Covid levels by next Spring. “We’ve been proudly serving Dublin since 2007 and building strong ties with Ireland’s travel industry and customer base,” Mr Pollock said. “As of July this year, we have 10 flights a week between Dublin and Abu Dhabi and this will be maintained through the winter season. I’m delighted to announce that as of April 1, 2026, we will be moving to a double daily service and this is going to be operated by a combination of our 787 Dreamliner aircraft and our Boeing 777. So, this marks a full restoration of our pre-pandemic capacity and underlines our confidence in the Irish market,” he added.
