Business travellers and holidaymakers will soon be able to enjoy direct flights from Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles.
Etihad Airways will offer daily non-stop service to the Californian city from June 1, 2014, subject to regulatory approvals.
In Los Angeles for the announcement, James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ president and chief executive officer, said: “We are delighted to add Los Angeles, a major US and global destination with a significant metropolitan population and growing economy, to the Etihad Airways’ network in 2014.”
Los Angeles will be the airline's fourth US destination after Chicago, New York and Washington DC.
It will bring the total weekly return flights between the UAE and US to 28, boosting the airline’s operations in the US market by 33 per cent.
Mr Hogan added: "The expansion of the US network also will be of considerable benefit to the growing commercial and cultural ties between the US and UAE, with trade between the two countries set to increase beyond the current annual level of US $22.5 billion."
newsdesk@thenational.ae