Etihad Marks New Route with First Arrivals

Passenger Experience03-30-2026

Etihad Airways officially arrived at CLT on March 20. The Airbus A350-1000 flew nonstop from Abu Dhabi (AUH) Al Zayed International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), landing in Charlotte around 11:42 a.m. EST.

The gleaming white-and-gold aircraft was greeted with a water-cannon salute on the airfield, while many excited passengers waited in the terminal for friends and family to arrive.

Pavan Kaduburu of Davidson came to CLT with flowers to pick up his wife, children and parents. “They went to India for a month, and my parents are visiting for the first time,” said Kaduburu. “We had been waiting for this route because we know the pain of taking one more flight, having to transfer bags and make another U.S. connection.”

Longest CLT Route

Etihad Airways is CLT’s first new global partner since 2018 and its fourth foreign flag carrier. It is also the official airline of the United Arab Emirates.

This new route will be CLT’s longest nonstop flight to date at nearly 15 hours and will serve as a gateway to India and Southeast Asia.

Anita Patel of Charlotte was among the first passengers on the inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi to CLT, her first time flying direct. “It was a very nice business class,” said Patel. “I used to have to fly another airline and go to New Jersey, so this is good.”

Angadpal Singh, who comes from an aviation family, stood with his wife and baby atop CLT’s hourly parking deck for a chance to see the huge aircraft land for the first time. “This might be a future flight for us, just going to India, because we visit maybe once or twice a year.”

Four Weekly Flights

Etihad Airways will offer service four times a week between Charlotte and Abu Dhabi on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Charlotte becomes Etihad’s sixth U.S. market, and the seventh in North America, joining Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., New York and Toronto.

For more information or to book tickets with Etihad and our numerous other airline partners, visit the CLT Airport website.