Etihad Airways expands global network with three new routes to Krakow, Salalah, and Kazan
Etihad Airways announced three additional new destinations to further expand its global network. The airline will add seasonal flights to Kazan, Russia from December this year; as well as Krakow, Poland; and Salalah, Oman in the summer of 2026. These new routes offer guests more opportunities to discover unique cities across Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: 'Krakow, Salalah and Kazan each bring something special to our network – from UNESCO-listed heritage in Poland, and refreshing green landscapes in Oman, to a vibrant Volga-side city in Russia. 'As we continue to grow Etihad's footprint globally, our focus remains simple: to directly link Abu Dhabi with places people want to visit, and warmly welcome more visitors to experience our beautiful home and the UAE's capital. We've already celebrated inaugural flights to four new destinations this year and set to add another 13 routes before the year closes – it's a remarkable year for Etihad.'
Krakow, Poland: launching 16 June 2026, Krakow will be Etihad's second destination in Poland, following the airline's successful route launch to Warsaw in June this year. Visitors to Krakow will enjoy a city of Gothic towers, Renaissance palaces and lively café culture. Travellers can wander the mediaeval Main Square, visit Wawel Castle, or use Krakow as a springboard to access the stunning Tatra Mountains.
Salalah, Oman: launching 21 May 2026, the Arabian Peninsula's summer oasis. During the Khareef monsoon the region turns an emerald green, with mist-shrouded mountains, waterfalls, and cool coastal air. An ideal escape for families across the Gulf and a hidden gem for travellers from Europe or Asia looking to explore somewhere new.
Kazan, Russia: launching 4 December 2025, one of Russia's fastest-growing tech and sports hubs in the heart of the Tatarstan region. Its Kazan Kremlin, mosques and cathedrals reflect centuries of Tatar-Russian heritage, while modern venues host global events.
With Krakow, Salalah and Kazan on the map, Etihad will operate to more than 90 destinations worldwide, offering travellers award-winning service on board its modern fleet and seamless transfers through Zayed International Airport.
Tickets are now open for sale on etihad.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
9 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Turkey's Brics membership hopes are dashed for now
Foreign investors were intrigued when Turkey, last year, applied to become the first Nato country to join the Brics economic bloc. Despite President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's years of public statements hinting that Ankara was considering joining Brics, few believed Turkey would actually take concrete steps toward membership. Brics - an acronym of its original members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - is seen by some commentators as poised to dominate the global economy in the coming decades. Often viewed as an alternative to the G7, which is led primarily by western nations, Brics represents a significant shift in global power dynamics, and until now, has not included any Nato members. One year after Ankara's application, Turkey's prospects for full Brics membership have lost momentum and are likely dead for the foreseeable future. There were no encouraging signs from the start. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for example, said last June that Brics was not interested in further expansion after adding five new nations in 2024: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Instead, Lavrov said Turkey would be offered a special status called "partner country", along with 13 others. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Turkish officials, even those with reservations about Brics, were not receptive to the idea of partner status, as it reminded them of Turkey's bid to join the European Union. Nato or Shanghai Cooperation Organisation? Turkey's Erdogan goes for both Read More » Several EU leaders in the past tried to persuade Turkey to accept a "special partnership" with Brussels instead of full EU membership. Ankara has yet to announce its decision regarding the Brics proposal. Erdogan skipped the Brics summit in Brazil last weekend, sending Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in his place. While 10 other countries, including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cuba, joined as partner countries, Turkey kept its silence on the issue. One side issue could also be US President Donald Trump assuming his second term in January. Last month, Trump made it clear he has no love for Brics and said he would impose 100 percent tariffs if the group attempted to create a new Brics currency. On Monday, he said the US would impose an additional 10 percent tariff on any countries aligning themselves with the "anti-American policies" of the Brics. Those statements likely concerned Turkish officials who want to maintain the good rapport between Erdogan and Trump. Adding insult to injury, Indonesia was admitted as a full Brics member in January, despite Lavrov's earlier statements that expansion to integrate new members would be paused. The Brics secretariat explained that Indonesia's membership was decided in 2023 but was delayed until after its presidential election last year, so it was not a new decision. Although no Turkish officials would say so publicly, sources familiar with the issue told Middle East Eye that China and India had reservations about Turkey's membership last year, effectively blocking Ankara's path to full Brics membership. "Turkey is Nato," a Brazilian diplomat told MEE in December. "Several countries have concerns about how that would work with the bloc." The diplomat said India was the chief opponent of Turkey's participation. Tensions with India In September, a western diplomat told MEE that Turkey may have been making soft moves to address India's concerns over the Kashmir issue. The diplomat noted that Erdogan did not comment on Kashmir during the UN General Assembly meetings in September, unlike in previous years. An Indian diplomat, however, told MEE that Erdogan's silence was not a meaningful gesture, as Turkey had signed an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation report in August that assessed the situation in Indian-controlled Kashmir. 'Turkey is Nato. Several countries have concerns about how that would work with the bloc' - Brazilian diplomat In its official statements, India did not directly comment on Turkey's membership but reminded the public that Brics admits new members only by unanimous decision. Matters deteriorated further this year. The issue came to a complete standstill after the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir was reignited by an attack in April that killed 27 Indian tourists. As India blamed Pakistan and launched a military response, Turkey soon found itself drawn into the conflict. Indian media, citing sources, repeatedly accused Ankara of supplying drones, weapons, and ammunition to Pakistan during the latest wave of conflict. Some reports even alleged that two Turkish military operatives were killed by Indian forces during Operation Sindoor, and that Turkey provided Pakistan with over 350 drones. "Turkish advisors helped Pakistani army officials coordinate drone attacks in India after Operation Sindoor," they claimed. Following the US-brokered ceasefire in May, Indian politicians began campaigns against Turkey for its supposed military aid to Pakistan. First, Indian authorities withheld security clearance for Celebi Airport Services India, a unit of Turkey's Celebi that operates ground handling services at nine Indian airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Why Turkey wants to join Brics Read More » Then, IndiGo Airlines announced it would terminate its leasing agreement with Turkish Airlines by 31 August after pressure from India's aviation regulator. As Indian citizens launched boycotts against Turkey, including tourism, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the airline would look for alternative maintenance and repair providers to replace Turkish Technic. In June, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Cyprus and met with President Nikos Christodoulides, a move widely seen as a signal to Turkey that New Delhi was deepening ties with countries that have disputes with Ankara. In another sign of India's shifting stance, the Indian military linked Turkey to Pakistan during the latest escalation over Kashmir, dashing any hopes that India might support Ankara's bid to join Brics. India's Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rahul R Singh said on Friday that Turkey was a component of Pakistan's strategy against India. "Turkey also played an important role by providing the type of support it did; they supplied Bayraktar and numerous other drones," he said.
Dubai Eye
16 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
BRICS leaders condemn Gaza and Iran attacks, urge global reforms
Leaders of the BRICS group of developing nations on Sunday condemned attacks on Gaza and Iran, called for reforms of global institutions and presented the bloc as a haven for multilateral diplomacy amid violent conflicts and trade wars. With forums such as the G7 and G20 groups of major economies hamstrung by divisions and the disruptive "America First" approach of US President Donald Trump, expansion of the BRICS has opened new space for diplomatic coordination. In opening remarks to the summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva drew a parallel with the Cold War's Non-Aligned Movement, a group of developing nations that resisted joining either side of a polarized global order. "BRICS is the heir to the Non-Aligned Movement," Lula told leaders. "With multilateralism under attack, our autonomy is in check once again." BRICS nations now represent more than half the world's population and 40 per cent of its economic output, Lula noted in remarks on Saturday to business leaders warning of rising protectionism. The original BRICS group gathered leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as members. This is the first summit of leaders to include Indonesia. "The vacuum left by others ends up being filled almost instantly by the BRICS," said a Brazilian diplomat who asked not to be named. Although the G7 still concentrates vast power, the diplomat added, "it doesn't have the predominance it once did." However, there are questions about the shared goals of an increasingly heterogeneous BRICS group, which has grown to include regional rivals along with major emerging economies. Stealing some thunder from this year's summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping chose to send his premier in his place. Russian President Vladimir Putin is attending online due to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. Still, several heads of state were gathered for discussions at Rio's Museum of Modern Art on Sunday and Monday, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. More than 30 nations have expressed interest in participating in the BRICS, either as full members or partners. In a joint statement released on Sunday afternoon, the leaders assembled called attacks against Iran's "civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities" a "violation of international law". The group expressed "grave concern" for the Palestinian people over Israeli attacks on Gaza, and condemned what the joint statement called a "terrorist attack" in India-administered Kashmir. On trade, the joint statement warned the rise in tariffs threatens global trade, continuing the group's veiled criticism of Trump's US tariff policies. The group voiced its support for Ethiopia and Iran to join the World Trade Organisation, while calling to urgently restore its ability to resolve trade disputes. The leaders' joint statement backed plans to pilot a BRICS Multilateral Guarantees initiative within the group's New Development Bank to lower financing costs and boost investment in member states, as first reported by Reuters last week. In a separate statement following a discussion of artificial intelligence, the leaders called for protections against unauthorised use of AI to avoid excessive data collection and allow mechanisms for fair payment. China and the UAE signaled in meetings with Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad in Rio that they plan to invest in a proposed Tropical Forests Forever Facility, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions about funding conservation of endangered forests around the world.
Tourism Breaking News
17 hours ago
- Tourism Breaking News
Etihad Airways expands global network with three new routes to Krakow, Salalah, and Kazan
Post Views: 41 Etihad Airways announced three additional new destinations to further expand its global network. The airline will add seasonal flights to Kazan, Russia from December this year; as well as Krakow, Poland; and Salalah, Oman in the summer of 2026. These new routes offer guests more opportunities to discover unique cities across Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: 'Krakow, Salalah and Kazan each bring something special to our network – from UNESCO-listed heritage in Poland, and refreshing green landscapes in Oman, to a vibrant Volga-side city in Russia. 'As we continue to grow Etihad's footprint globally, our focus remains simple: to directly link Abu Dhabi with places people want to visit, and warmly welcome more visitors to experience our beautiful home and the UAE's capital. We've already celebrated inaugural flights to four new destinations this year and set to add another 13 routes before the year closes – it's a remarkable year for Etihad.' Krakow, Poland: launching 16 June 2026, Krakow will be Etihad's second destination in Poland, following the airline's successful route launch to Warsaw in June this year. Visitors to Krakow will enjoy a city of Gothic towers, Renaissance palaces and lively café culture. Travellers can wander the mediaeval Main Square, visit Wawel Castle, or use Krakow as a springboard to access the stunning Tatra Mountains. Salalah, Oman: launching 21 May 2026, the Arabian Peninsula's summer oasis. During the Khareef monsoon the region turns an emerald green, with mist-shrouded mountains, waterfalls, and cool coastal air. An ideal escape for families across the Gulf and a hidden gem for travellers from Europe or Asia looking to explore somewhere new. Kazan, Russia: launching 4 December 2025, one of Russia's fastest-growing tech and sports hubs in the heart of the Tatarstan region. Its Kazan Kremlin, mosques and cathedrals reflect centuries of Tatar-Russian heritage, while modern venues host global events. With Krakow, Salalah and Kazan on the map, Etihad will operate to more than 90 destinations worldwide, offering travellers award-winning service on board its modern fleet and seamless transfers through Zayed International Airport. Tickets are now open for sale on
