Etihad Airways has announced that it will launch flights between Abu Dhabi and Charlotte, North Carolina beginning in 2026.
Charlotte will be Etihad Airways’ Sixth U.S. Destination
Etihad Airways will be the first Gulf Carrier to fly to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) when it launches flights from Zayed International Airport (AUH) next year. The new flight is scheduled to launch on May 4, 2026 and will operate 4x weekly.
Etihad plans to use Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on the route which are outfitted with 28 Business Class and 262 Economy seats. Mrs. ATX and I had an opportunity to fly Business Class on Etihad’s 787-9 between Male (MLE) and Abu Dhabi during our honeymoon.
Charlotte will be Etihad’s sixth destination in the United States after New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD), Washington (IAD), Boston (BOS), and Atlanta (ATL). Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, had this to say about the new route:
“Charlotte represents a strategic addition to our U.S. network, unlocking direct access to one of the country’s most dynamic and fast-growing regions. We’re excited to be the first airline from our region to serve this market, and we look forward to connecting more travelers to Abu Dhabi and beyond.”
Flights will operate in both directions on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Westbound flights are blocked at fifteen hours while eastbound flights are blocked at 13h 45m. Flights will operate on the following schedule:
| Flight | Departs | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| EY15 (AUH-CLT) | 3:15a | 10:15a |
| EY16 (CLT-AUH) | 2:40p | 12:25p |
According to the airline, flights have been timed to support onward connections to destinations across the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, and Asia. Also, as one would expect, passengers on the flight will use the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance facility in Abu Dhabi, allowing them to arrive in Charlotte as domestic passengers.
Why Charlotte?
Etihad used to have a much larger footprint than it does today after shrinking significantly in an effort to become profitable. Now, the carrier is growing once again and while I’m not surprised to see them adding a new destination in the United States, I am surprised that they chose Charlotte.
Charlotte is a fortress hub for American Airlines and while both airlines do have a partnership, American is much closer with Qatar Airways as both are members of OneWorld. As part of the announcement Etihad notes that Charlotte ranks sixth globally in terms of aircraft movements, though that statistic is somewhat misleading due to the massive regional jet operation American Eagle has at the airport to connect smaller cities in the southeast.
I’d be interested to see what made Etihad choose Charlotte as I have to imagine other destinations like Miami, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Houston may have been in play. According to View from the Wing, this was likely a reaction to President Donald Trump’s visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The airline and airport reportedly weren’t in talks with one another prior to the visit and subsequent route announcement.
While I’m not saying this route won’t work, Etihad has virtually no feed in Atlanta and has already increased frequencies, I’m wondering if Charlotte was just the first airport to pick up the phone as the UAE looked to curry favor with the President. Tickets for the route are already on sale at Etihad.com and, I’ll be interested to see what loads look like once the flights begin.
Summary
In a surprise move, Etihad Airways is launching flights between Abu Dhabi and Charlotte. Flights will begin in May 2026 and are scheduled to operate 4x weekly using Boeing 787-9 aircraft equipped with Business Class and Economy cabins.