Etihad Airways has announced the launch of a new seasonal service between Abu Dhabi and Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport, marking the first direct air connection between Sweden’s second-largest city and the Middle East and Asia region. The route will operate from December 17, 2026, to March 21, 2027, with four weekly frequencies, expanding the international connectivity of Sweden’s west coast.
Network Strategy and Regional Connectivity
The new seasonal operation represents the fifteenth addition to Etihad Airways’ global route network in 2026. This strategic link will directly connect the West Sweden region with the airline’s hub in Abu Dhabi, offering passengers traveling from Gothenburg optimized connection times to key destinations in Asia and India.
The overnight arrival schedules in Abu Dhabi have been designed to facilitate connections to high-demand markets, notably including:
- Southeast Asia: Bangkok, Phuket, and Krabi in Thailand; Singapore; Hanoi in Vietnam; and Bali in Indonesia.
- East Asia: Shanghai in Mainland China and Taipei in Taiwan.
- South Asia: Bengaluru in India and Colombo in Sri Lanka.
Additionally, the layover in Abu Dhabi provides access to the carrier’s complimentary Abu Dhabi Stopover program, which offers eligible passengers up to a two-night hotel stay. The proximity between Abu Dhabi and Dubai—approximately 45 minutes away—enhances the tourism and business offerings in the United Arab Emirates.
Airbus A321LR Aircraft Configuration and Cabin Product
To operate this medium- and long-haul route, Etihad Airways will deploy the Airbus A321LR, the newest aircraft model added to its fleet. The aircraft is configured in a three-class layout with a total capacity of 160 passengers:
- First Suites: 2 first-class suites.
- Business Class: 14 business-class seats.
- Economy Class: 144 economy-class seats.
Both the First Class and Business Class cabins feature fully lie-flat seats with direct aisle access. In Economy Class, ergonomically designed seats are equipped with 13.3-inch individual 4K touchscreen displays, providing access to the inflight entertainment system featuring hundreds of hours of audiovisual content. High-speed Wi-Fi connectivity is available throughout the aircraft.
Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Etihad Airways, highlighted the decisive role of fleet technology in opening this market:
“The Airbus A321LR is the aircraft that makes a route like this possible, bringing our full three-cabin product to a scale that suits Gothenburg. It is a city of which Scandinavia is rightly proud, an industrial and research hub with an archipelago right on its doorstep. This new service gives the region its first direct air link to Asia and, via Abu Dhabi, some of the fastest connections to key destinations in India and Asia. It also gives travelers the opportunity to experience Abu Dhabi before continuing their journey.”
Gothenburg, the primary industrial and academic hub of western Sweden, thus adds a key direct air transport option to boost corporate and VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) traffic, while positioning Abu Dhabi as an efficient transfer node toward the emerging markets of Asia-Pacific.
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