Etihad Airways is set to start flying to Guangzhou next month, becoming the first international airline to operate long-haul passenger services to the top three Chinese gateways since the start of the pandemic.

Subject to regulatory approvals, the twice-weekly passenger service to Guangzhou will start on 10 October, initially using a two-class Boeing 777. The new route means Etihad will be offering guests convenient access to three Chinese gateways as Guangzhou is added to existing services to Shanghai which resumed in July 2020 and Beijing, which resumed in June 2022.

Martin Drew, Etihad’s senior vice president global sales and cargo, said: “We are proud to offer our guests a third destination in China as Etihad Airways begins flights to the pivotal and historic port city of Guangzhou. As well as being a modern and rapidly growing city itself, Guangzhou has excellent connections with the Greater Bay Area.

“Our twice-weekly service will further address the huge demand for passenger travel between the UAE and China, as well as provide new cargo capacity, building on the formidable people and business ties between the two markets.”

With the addition of these new services from 10 October, Etihad will offer four weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and China: two services per week to Guangzhou and weekly services to Beijing and Shanghai.