Calgary Is About to Get a Direct Line to the Gulf

Etihad Airways will begin nonstop flights between Abu Dhabi and Calgary on November 3. The airline says the route is the only nonstop link between the Middle East and Western Canada, giving the Alberta city a direct connection to the Gulf and, through Abu Dhabi, onward links to Asia and Africa.

The service will run four times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Flight EY29 departs Abu Dhabi at 08:45 and arrives in Calgary at 12:20 local time. The return, EY30, leaves Calgary at 18:05 and lands in Abu Dhabi at 19:00.

Based on those local times and the 11-hour difference in early November, the westbound flight takes about 14 hours 35 minutes and the return about 13 hours 55 minutes. That puts it among the longer routes in Etihad’s network, so travelers heading out of Calgary will want to plan for an overnight sector.

Etihad’s chief executive, Antonoaldo Neves, framed it as a first for the region, and Calgary Airports chief executive Chris Dinsdale said it connects the area’s travelers to destinations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Some trade reports have mentioned an October start; the airline’s own announcement gives November 3.

Sources: Etihad Airways, Gulf News