A couple of days in the past, I wrote about how Etihad Airways introduced that it’s launching a brand new route between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Charlotte (CLT). The flight will begin in Could 2026, and can function 4x weekly, with Boeing 787s. The backstory of how this route got here to be is sort of one thing, as flagged by @xJonNYC…
Charlotte Airport caught off guard by Etihad route
Forbes has the backstory of how Etihad went about making the choice to launch flights to Charlotte. As everyone knows, the route announcement coincided with President Trump’s go to to the UAE, the place Etihad additionally introduced a Boeing plane order (although with few particulars, and it’s solely described as a “dedication” for now).
Usually talking, the method of an airline launching an extended haul flight to a brand new airport is a drawn out course of. It takes months, and generally there are even years of discussions and negotiations between airports and airways, particularly given the incentives which can be typically offered.
That wasn’t the case right here, and Charlotte Airport executives had been even caught off guard by the announcement. In accordance with Forbes, the airport solely discovered concerning the route sooner or later earlier than it was introduced:
President Trump’s go to to Abu Dhabi final week prompted Etihad Airways to achieve out to Charlotte Douglas Worldwide Airport to say it needed to served Charlotte.
The decision to the airport was made Wednesday. It was the primary time the airport heard of the airline’s curiosity. On Thursday, Trump visited Abu Dhabi. On Friday morning, Etihad introduced that it intends to fly the Boeing 787 between its Abu Dhabi hub and Charlotte 4 instances weekly beginning Could 4, 2026. Tickets went on sale Friday.
In an interview on Friday, Etihad’s Director of Community and Scheduling said “it’s day to make the announcement,” and claimed the airline has “been Charlotte for a couple of months.”
What an odd strategy to including a brand new route
This new route is a serious improvement for Charlotte — it’s the airport’s first path to Asia and the Center East, the airport’s longest nonstop flight, and likewise the airport’s solely scheduled Boeing 787 flight. I’m unsure what’s stranger:
- That Etihad executives solely began discussions with the airport a day earlier than making the announcement
- That Charlotte Airport executives weren’t doing extra to have interaction in conversations with Gulf carriers about launching flights to the airport
As you’d anticipate, “matchmaking” between airports and airways is huge enterprise, and there are even conferences for these sorts of issues (as Denver Airport executives can attest to). 😉 I’ve requested a couple of folks straight conversant in worldwide route planning about this, and all of them stated this was unusual, and that ordinarily there can be way more drawn out discussions than this.
So I’m probably not certain what to make of this. I’m additionally unsure what the connection is between Trump and Charlotte. Was Charlotte simply the following US airport that Etihad executives had been focusing on? If that was the case, you’d suppose that there would have been present discussions, since that’s customary.
Frankly, this story simply type of makes the Etihad staff appear a bit disorganized, or one thing, no? You’d suppose that possibly they might’ve executed a bit extra negotiating of their favor with a bit extra time.
Backside line
Etihad not too long ago introduced plans to launch Charlotte flights, coinciding with Trump’s go to to the UAE. Whereas it’s common to see some bulletins linked to a excessive profile go to, what’s unusual is that Etihad solely made contact with Charlotte Airport for the primary time sooner or later earlier than the announcement was made.
I don’t suppose there are lots of lengthy haul routes that progress from the primary dialogue between the airport and the airline to being on sale inside round 48 hours. It certain looks as if some incentives from the airport or local people might need been left on the desk right here.
What do you make of the way in which Etihad is including Charlotte flights?
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