Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways has today announced plans to fly to Malaga in Spain. The new seasonal route will be operated by a Boeing 787 three times a week from the 26th of June 2020.

As we reach the end of 2019, airlines have been busy announcing their plans for 2020. Just last week we saw British Airways announce a new route to Portland. Now, Etihad is joining the party. The United Arab Emirates flag carrier has announced plans to turn Malaga into its third Spanish gateway on a seasonal basis. The new flights will launch in June, operating for just under three months.

Three-point route

The new route from Abu Dhabi to Malaga won't be direct once it launches. Instead, the Boeing 787 will stop in Rabat, Morocco, en route. As a result, a whole rotation will take almost 24 hours. Flights will depart from Abu Dhabi on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays to the following schedule:

• EY615 will depart from Abu Dhabi at 09:40 three times per week. Following the flight to north-west Africa, the aircraft will touch down in Rabat at 14:50.
• EY615 will then depart from Rabat at 16:10, one and a half hours after its arrival. It will then fly the short hop back to Malaga, arriving at 18:20.
• EY616 will depart from Malaga at 19:40, after one hour and 20 minutes on the ground. The aircraft will arrive in Rabat for the second time at 19:45.
• EY616 will then depart from Rabat one last time at 21:05. Following its fourth flight, the aircraft will arrive back in Abu Dhabi at 07:25 the next morning.

A Boeing 787-9 will operate the flight to Malaga starting on the 26th of June 2020. It will run for just over 11 weeks, until the 13th of September 2020. This means that the seasonal rotation to Malaga and back will operate 35 times.

Why Malaga?

According to Etihad, the airline has wanted to fly to Malaga for quite some time.  In fact, the airline states that the destination has been popular for UAE travellers for decades.

Speaking of the new route Robin Kamark, Etihad's CCO, said:

“Malaga has been on our wish-list for some time and we are tremendously pleased to announce summer season services to the Costa del Sol, a region which for decades has been popular with travellers from across the United Arab Emirates. This will be the only service between the UAE and the main gateway to Andalucía.

He went on to add: “Together with Madrid and Barcelona, Malaga will be Etihad’s third destination in Spain, further boosting our successful operations to the Iberian Peninsula. The new flights will be operated by our next-generation 787 Dreamliners, ensuring we provide the best product and service to our customers heading on business or on holiday.”

Would you use Etihad to get from Abu Dhabi to Malaga? Are you happy stopping off in Rabat? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!