Etihad Abu Dhabi AUH Colombo CMB

[shawarma]

Etihad Airways starts flights from Abu Dhabi airport (AUH), UAE to Colombo (CMB), Sri Lanka from 02 March 2004. A summary of the Etihad Press Release 03 March 2004:

• Colombo is the first Etihad Airways route outside the Middle East and the fourth destination for Etihad.
• Initially three flights a week from Abu Dhabi to Colombo on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
• Etihad plans to have 16 new destinations by the end of 2004 including London, UK starting on 28 March 2004, and Bangkok, Thailand with first flight on 05 April 2004
• Abu Dhabi AUH flight EY201 departure time 2150, to Colombo CMB arrival time 0430
• Colombo CMB departure time 0545, Abu Dhabi AUH arrival time 0820
• Etihad aircraft include Airbus A330-200 with passenger capacity 225, and an A340-200. By end 2005 Etihad plans to have 10 wide-bodied aircraft
• Etihad aircraft have three zones - Diamond, Pearl, and Coral - rather than first, business, and economy classes.
• Diamond Zone has a 75-inch seat pitch
• Pearl Zone has a 49-inch seat pitch
• Coral Zone has a 32-inch seat pitch
• Diamond and Pearl Zone passengers (or guests to use Etihad terminology) get limousine service to and from both origin and destination airports (anywhere in the UAE for Abu Dhabi flights)

[shawarma]

Etihad Airways flights from Abu Dhabi to Colombo increased from 3 per week to 5 times per week from 01 June 2005. Summary of Etihad press release 05 May 2007:

• Etihad will fly to Bangkok daily from 01 June 2005 (previously was 4 times per week)
• Etihad will fly to Colombo 5 times per week from 01 June 2005 (previously was 3 times per week)

[shawarma]

An additional Etihad flight from Sri Lanka to the UAE was added 11 July 2007 but it was a one off due to a bomb scare. There was a report from AFP 11 July 2007...

COLOMBO - An Etihad Airways plane en route from Indonesia to the United Arab Emirates made an emergency landing in Sri Lanka Wednesday following a bomb scare, an airport official said. Flight EY-471 from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi was diverted to Colombo and checked by police commandos and bomb disposal units, the official said, adding that no bomb was found. It was not immediately clear how the alarm had been raised.

[shawarma]

A week after the additional flight from Jakarta via Colombo to Abu Dhabi, Etihad decides to suspend flights to Colombo altogether according to a press release from Etihad. The two incidents are probably unrelated. There's no mention in this press release of the terrorist troubles in Sri Lanka being a contributing factor to Etihad's decision. Emirates Airlines from April to June had suspended night flights (they recently resumed) and for a few days in April cancelled flights altogether after the Tamils attacked Colombo Airport. Cathay Pacific also cancelled flights to Colombo then and, as far as I know, have not yet started services to Colombo again. Summary of press release:

• Etihad Airways flights to Colombo will stop from 09 September 2007
• Sri Lankan Airlines will fly to Colombo in a code-share arrangement with Etihad
• "Etihad continually monitors the commercial performance of its global flight network and has taken this decision following extensive market analysis." according to Geert W. Boven, the executive vice president sales and services for Etihad Airways

[shawarma]

According to an Etihad press release 02 September 2007 Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi AUH to Colombo CMB will stop from 09 September 2007, and codeshare flights with Sri Lankan Airlines will start 15 September 2007. There wasn't much else in it except for the usual babble with phrases from Etihad and SriLankan Airlines people saying things like "strategic agreement", "high standards of service", "reviewed on an ongoing basis", "strengthen our services", and "operational efficiencies". Bon Voyage ...

[shawarma]

Etihad flights to Colombo will resume in January 2010 (exact date unknown). Press release 18 October 2009 says

EY266 from AUH to CMB, depart AUH Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun 2155, arrive CMB 09345 next day.
EY267 from CMB to AUH, depart CMB Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat 0445, arrive AUH 0800.