Ethiad Airways keen to expand wings in US

The national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Etihad Airways, is keen to expand its network in the United States (US), says President and Chief Executive Officer James Hogan.

"The US is one of the highest performing regions in our airline's global network, with an average load factor this year at 81 per cent," he said in a statement.

On existing routes - New York and Chicago - a significant proportion of premium cabin bookings are for travel to and from Abu Dhabi, with 72 per cent of first class passengers and 53 per cent of business class passengers starting or ending their journey in the UAE capital.

The airline had flown about 1.5 million passengers to and from the US since commencing services to New York in 2006 and Chicago in 2009.

It will launch its third US route on March 31, 2013, with daily and non-stop flights between Washington and its home base and hub, Abu Dhabi.

The route will be served by a three-class Airbus A340-500 aircraft.

The UAE is the single largest export market for US goods in the Middle East and the United States is the fifth largest trade partner worldwide for the UAE, representing a total trade volume of US$18.3 billion (RM 56.16 billion) last year.