Etihad adds major East Coast hub in latest US expansion, orders dozens of new Boeing jets
Quick summary
Etihad Airways just announced its sixth U.S. destination — and it's one of America's busiest East Coast airports.
The Gulf carrier on Friday announced plans to launch service to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in the spring of 2026
Nonstop flights between the Southeast hub and Abu Dhabi will get started on May 6 — just under a year from now, so if you're hoping to use miles to book a business-class seat, the first few flights are now open for booking.
Adding Charlotte will give Etihad a half-dozen U.S. cities, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), where it's on track to start flying in July.
Etihad's new Charlotte flights
Like its larger Persian Gulf counterparts in Emirates and Qatar, Etihad can funnel travelers to nearly any corner of the map via its Zayed International Airport (AUH) hub located in the UAE.
Etihad plans to operate its CLT-AUH route with a two-cabin Boeing 787-9 featuring its lie-flat business-class product and economy. Charlotte travelers won't see the ultra-swanky, TPG Award-winning Etihad Apartments first-class product found on the carrier's Airbus A380 superjumbos, but the airline is generally known for a more upscale experience regardless.
Read more: The best luxury suites in the sky and how to fly them
You can already view how the impending itinerary will shake out starting next May. It's an early afternoon, 2:40 p.m. departure from CLT, landing just after noon the following day in Abu Dhabi, with a flight time of 13 hours and 45 minutes. The reverse journey, headed back westbound to Charlotte, departs at 3 a.m. local time, with a same-day arrival at 10:15 a.m. ET.
Etihad will operate the flights between Charlotte and Abu Dhabi four times each week once the service gets started.
How to book Etihad with points
Travelers hoping to book a seat on Etihad have a few options.
The airline's Etihad Guest loyalty program is a transfer partner of a few major U.S. credit card programs, including American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One and Citi. Plus, Etihad has loyalty partnerships with that allow redemptions through JetBlue's TrueBlue program and American Airlines AAdvantage.
It's worth noting that, as a fortress hub for the carrier, Charlotte is full of AAdvantage loyalists.
Etihad is not American's only Gulf partner, as Doha-based Qatar is a full-fledged Oneworld Alliance member. However, Etihad's presence in Charlotte should offer an enticing new long-haul option for flyers. Etihad will be only the second airline based outside the U.S. serving Charlotte — in addition to Lufthansa.
Travelers flying on Etihad from Abu Dhabi back to Charlotte (or other U.S. destinations) can also make use of the U.S. preclearance facility, which allows travelers to go through passport control and customers before the flight, eliminating the hassle afterward.
Big Boeing order
Etihad's new route to Charlotte came to light a day after the airline announced a sizable order of new long-haul planes from Boeing. The carrier placed an order for 28 new widebody jets, including a mix of more 787 Dreamliners and Boeing's latest generation (but still yet-to-be-certified) 777X.
The aircraft Etihad ordered will join its fleet in 2028 and beyond, the carrier said Thursday.
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