Etihad Airways has announced plans to cut its Abu Dhabi to New York JFK service from two flights per day to one, effective from October 1.
This change will see the discontinuation of flights EY103, departing Abu Dhabi at 02:50, and EY102, departing New York at 11:50. However, flights EY101, departing Abu Dhabi at 09:55, and EY100, departing New York at 22:55, will continue to be served by the carrier’s Airbus A380 aircraft.
In a statement, Etihad said: “Along with our travel agency partners, we will work closely with any impacted guests to notify them of the changes to their itineraries and re-accommodate them on alternative flights.”
The decision follows Etihad’s move last June to operate all its Abu Dhabi-New York flights using A380s. At the time, CEO Peter Baumgartner noted the “phenomenal” response from passengers since the A380 service was introduced two years prior.
This latest adjustment comes in the wake of Etihad dropping its Abu Dhabi-San Francisco route last year due to “lower than planned yields and load factors,” and ceasing operations to Dallas in March, citing American Airlines’ decision to end codeshare agreements with the Gulf carrier.
The A380 aircraft freed up by the reduction in the New York service will be redeployed to Etihad’s Paris CDG route from the start of October, transitioning this service to an all-A380 operation.
Commenting on this redeployment, Baumgartner said: “Paris has always been a very special destination on the Etihad network, and the number of visitors from France to Abu Dhabi, and vice versa, has continued to show significant growth. The route has never been more in demand.
“We have seized the opportunity to place our flagship Airbus A380 on our second daily flight, following the great reception the aircraft has received from our guests, and to ensure we offer product consistency on the route.”