Etihad Airways has signed a three year deal with VisitBritain to increase visitor numbers from the lucrative Asia Pacific and Middle East region, while encouraging more people to fly with Etihad Airways. The partnership agreement, valued at £2 million, will facilitate joint marketing activities in key markets around the APME region, including India, Australia, and the GCC.

Etihad Airways has announced plans to introduce three more destinations to its core international network in 2014. Continuing the prodigious growth of its first decade, the airline will commence daily services to Rome (Italy) and Jaipur (India), together with four flights per week to Yerevan (Armenia). The new routes will join a previously announced daily service to Los Angeles and three flights per week to Dallas (United States), plus daily services to Zurich (Switzerland), Perth (Australia) and Medina (Saudi Arabia), all of which are scheduled to commence in 2014.

Etihad Airways has doubled the number of flights and tripled the number of seats which it offers between Abu Dhabi and the Indian cities of Mumbai and New Delhi, adding a second daily service and introducing wide-bodied Airbus jets on both routes. Under the expanded schedules, effective immediately, new mid-afternoon services to Mumbai and New Delhi are operated with single-aisle Airbus A320s, each seating 136 passengers, and existing late evening departures have been upgraded to larger aircraft.

Air Serbia has announced that ten next generation A320neo aircraft have been confirmed for its fleet. The deal is valued at more than US$1 billion at list prices.

Etihad Airways has announced a ‘step-change in global aviation,’ with the launch of its first branded regional operation, after taking a 33.3 per cent stake in Swiss carrier Darwin Airline. Following completion of the minority investment, which is subject to regulatory approval, Darwin Airline will re-brand its operations as Etihad Regional and align its network to connect passengers from secondary European markets onto the main networks of Etihad Airways and its equity alliance partners.

Etihad Airways has placed a firm order for 56 new Boeing wide-body aircraft, with options and purchase rights for a further 26, to support its continued global expansion.  The order represents an investment of up to US$ 25.2 billion at list prices, including related engines.