Etihad Expands Heathrow Flights As British Airways Pauses Abu Dhabi Route

Etihad Airways is set to expand its services between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) by leasing an additional daily slot from American Airlines for the summer 2025 season.

The arrangement, effective from March 30 to Oct. 25, will enable Etihad to operate a fifth daily flight on the 3,426-mi. (2,977-nm) route, according to documents published by slot coordinator Airport Coordination Ltd. The slot was previously held by American Airlines for flights between LHR and U.S. destinations such as Philadelphia and Dallas/Fort Worth.

The new Etihad service, designated EY703/704, is slated to operate using an Airbus A321, marking the farthest route in the airline’s network for this aircraft type, surpassing the current longest route from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

According to CAPA – Centre for Aviation data, the carrier currently operates nine A321s, along with six A321neos previously used by Vietnamese airline Bamboo Airways. The first A321neo was added to the fleet in May 2024.

Etihad currently flies from Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport (AUH) to LHR four times per day using a mix of A380-800, Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft. The airline provides about 21,000 two-way weekly seats between the destinations, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows.

The carrier’s planned expansion in the market comes as British Airways prepares to suspend LHR-AUH flights from late March as it grapples with supply chain issues relating to Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, which power its fleet of 787 aircraft. British Airways will temporarily pause the daily route from March 30 through Oct. 25.