ETIHAD SHUTTING DOWN LARNACA-ABU DHABI ROUTE AS AT END OF OCTOBER 2016

From Cyprus Mail, staff reporter - 22/8/16

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is shutting down its Cyprus-Abu Dhabi route as of October 31, it said on Monday.  The flight, three times a week, was first introduced in 2009 and offered travellers from Cyprus access to destinations in the Indian sub-continent, Asia and Australia.

“Etihad Airways regrets the closure of its Abu Dhabi – Larnaca route, effective 31 October 2016,” the airline said in a statement on Monday.  “For a number of reasons, including multiple regional airspace restrictions in recent years, the route is no longer economically viable to continue operating. The A320 aircraft currently dedicated to the Larnaca route will be deployed to other parts of the airline’s network.”

It said that passengers booked on flights beyond 31 October 2016 would be given a number of options for their journey.  “Etihad Airways would like to take this opportunity to thank our employees in Cyprus, the Cypriot authorities and‎ the travelling public for supporting the route since its launch in June 2009. Staff affected by the closure are being offered alternative employment options at Etihad Airways,” the statement added.

In a letter to passengers, the airline said it could still serve their travel needs from Larnaca through its codeshare partners, which can be booked on etihad.com.

The current Etihad office at Nicosia will remain open until 30 October 2016 to assist passengers with existing bookings and can be contacted at 22258400 or LCATKT@etihad.ae. The office operating hours are 0900 – 1700, Monday to Friday.

New enquiries from 30 October 2016, should be directed to the contact centre for Cyprus at 80092526. Office operating hours are 24/7.

For any bookings currently held on flights to or from Larnaca from 30 October 2016, the following policies are in place, the airline said.

Rerouting: For partially used tickets only, re-routing to Athens or Beirut is permitted.
Cancellation/Refund: Refund is permitted free of charge whether the ticket is wholly unutilised or partially utilized as long as there are travel segments on or after 30 October 2016 which are impacted by this cancellation. Refund on partially utilised ticket must be calculated based upon pro-rata mileage flown.

For tickets to or from Australia only, rerouting of totally unused tickets is also allowed.
For any assistance or to discuss further, passenger should contact the airline on the phone number or email address above.

To mark what it called seven successful years of services, Etihad Airways in June this year hosted a reception at Larnaca airport. Abdelrahman Al Suwaidi, Etihad Airways General Manager in Cyprus, said: “During our seven years of operation in the Cyprus market, we have experienced positive growth and enhanced cooperation with the local travel industry. Etihad Airways has demonstrated commitment to Cyprus, supporting the growth of business and leisure traffic via Abu Dhabi, and offering travellers a greater choice of destinations across the Gulf region, Indian Sub-continent, Asia and Australia”.