Heathrow to host more Abu Dhabi flights

London Heathrow Airport will this year host additional flights from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) provided by Etihad Airways.

The carrier announced that it would offer a third daily flight to Heathrow from October, increasing its total number of weekly services to the London hub from 17 to 21.

This will complement Etihad's current daily flight to Manchester Airport, its only other destination in the UK.

Geert Boven, the airline's executive vice-president of sales and services, said: "It is great news that Etihad will shortly operate a third daily flight between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow, the world's busiest international airport.

"By adding these new flights to our growing route network we are able to offer a simpler, more convenient travel experience for the flying public."

London Heathrow is one of Etihad's longest-serving airports. It began hosting the airline's flights in March 2004, just five months after the carrier was first established.

In the past year, demand for flights between the UAE and the UK has increased, with more than 306,000 people using Etihad's Heathrow service and around 146,000 travelling on the Manchester route.