Etihad launches 69th destination

Etihad Airways said Tuesday it would start operating flights to China's southwestern city of Chengdu from December 15, 2011, subject to government approval. Abu Dhabi carrier would serve its 69th destination, Chengdu - the capital of Sichuan province, with four non-stop return services per week, the carrier said in a statement, adding that the new service would provide the "first ever flight link between the UAE and Sichuan province". "With the purchasing power of the Chinese consumer rising in synch with annual GDP growth of 7.5 per cent to 2030, the Chinese travel market has enormous latent potential. The new service will position Etihad strongly to grow its services to daily and beyond," Etihad Airways' CEO, James Hogan, said in a statement.