The UAE national carrier Etihad Airways said the launch of direct non-stop flights to Zurich form its Abu Dhabi hub will bring greater choice for travellers and also strengthen Switzerland as a European air transport hub.

The new service launched on June 1, builds on Etihad’s daily flights between Geneva and Abu Dhabi launched in June 2004.

Commenting on the launch, president and CEO James Hogan, said: "This year we celebrate ten years of operation in Switzerland, which continues to be an increasingly important travel market for Etihad Airways and a significant trading partner with the UAE."

"Our new Zurich daily service means Swiss business and leisure travellers have greater access to the UAE and important markets in the Gulf region, Middle East, Africa, Indian Sub Continent, Asia and Australia," he remarked.

"Etihad’s presence in Switzerland contributes to a resilient aviation sector in Switzerland, bringing the benefits of competition and convenience to travellers, added Hogan.

The flight EY073 will take off from Abu Dhabi at 2.05am and land in Zürich at 6.50am, while on return, the flight EY074 will leave the Swiss city at 11.55am and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 8.15pm.

Both Zurich and Geneva services are operated by an Airbus A330-300 aircraft with a total of 231 seats in a three class cabin configuration: Eight First Class, 32 Business Class and 191 Economy Class.

From Zurich, Etihad Airways now provides travellers with 25 international connections to the Gulf region, Indian Sub Continent, Africa, Asia and Australia via its hub in Abu Dhabi.

In conjunction with our global network partners Air Seychelles, Jet Airways and Virgin Australia, Etihad Airways is now able to provide connectivity from Zurich and Geneva to 44 destinations beyond its hub in Abu Dhabi.

Flying into Zurich and Geneva, Etihad now provides seamless onward European connections to 22 destinations on Etihad Regional’s network, including domestic services between Zurich and Geneva, and Geneva and Lugano, said Hogan.

Travellers can also connect on airberlin and Niki’s regional network via Zurich to Berlin, Dűsseldorf, Olbia, Palma de Mallorca and Vienna. Air Serbia provides a convenient daily connection from Zurich to Belgrade.

“The greater choice for travellers is further evidence of the value and strength of our network partnership strategy, which enables us to work with partner airlines to offer more flights to more destinations, with more connections,” he added.

While passenger traffic between Switzerland and the UAE has nearly doubled in the past five years, cargo volume is similarly increasing as a result of growing trade between the two countries. In 2013, Etihad Cargo carried more than 6,700 tonnes of goods to and from Switzerland, up 21 per cent on 2012.

The new Zurich-Abu Dhabi services will offer cargo customers 260 tonnes of weekly bellyhold volume to meet the increasing demand for freight capacity. In total, Etihad Airways will offer just over 510 tonnes of weekly cargo capacity to and from Switzerland.-TradeArabia News Service