Etihad Airways today announced four additional weekly flights on the popular Abu Dhabi–Malé route.

The move will increase frequency to the idyllic Maldives to 11 services a week between July 1st and September 17th this year.

The capacity increase will cater to high demand during the peak summer season.

The announcement comes as the Abu Dhabi-based airline completed five years of operations to the Maldives.

The summer expansion will be supported by a two-class A320 aircraft operating the route, with 16 Business and 120 Economy seats.

The four extra flights each week will provide more options for local passengers travelling between Abu Dhabi and Malé with an early morning arrival into the Maldives islands.

Overall connectivity to and from key destinations in the GCC and Europe will increase and, new two-way connectivity will be established from markets such as Edinburgh, Jeddah, Madrid, Moscow and Zurich.

Over the past five years, Etihad Airways has carried more than 450,000 passengers on the route, with the majority travelling to the Maldives from Abu Dhabi, the GCC and key European markets.

The Maldives is the ultimate honeymoon and leisure destination, with Malé being the gateway to the premium leisure destination.

Etihad Airways is a key contributor to the Maldivian economy, supporting the vibrant tourism and fishing industries.

Etihad Airways launched daily scheduled flights between the capital cities of the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives on November 1st, 2011.

The additional flights will operate every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.