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Etihad Airways has launched direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Dhaka, marking a significant expansion of air connectivity between the United Arab Emirates and Bangladesh as demand for passenger travel and cargo services continues to grow.
The UAE’s national carrier operated its inaugural flight on June 26, with the Boeing 777 service departing Abu Dhabi fully booked before arriving at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport the following morning.
The new route will operate four times a week and is expected to bolster trade, tourism and cargo movement between the two countries, while strengthening Etihad’s footprint across South Asia.
“Our first flight to Dhaka departing fully booked speaks to the strength of the bond between the UAE and Bangladesh, and to the sustained demand we’re seeing across both passenger and cargo segments on this route,” Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves said.
The airline said the route caters to one of the world’s largest Bangladeshi expatriate communities, with hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis living and working in the UAE. It also provides improved connectivity for travelers from Bangladesh heading to destinations across the Gulf, Europe, North America and the United Kingdom through Abu Dhabi.
Industry analysts say the launch comes as Gulf carriers continue expanding their South Asian networks to capitalize on strong migrant worker traffic, rising business travel and growing demand for transit connections to Western markets.
Beyond passenger traffic, the service is expected to boost Bangladesh’s export sector by increasing cargo capacity for ready-made garments and textiles—the country’s largest export industry. The Boeing 777 deployed on the route offers significant belly-hold cargo space, providing exporters with additional capacity to move goods to markets across the Middle East, Europe and North America.
Bangladesh’s garment industry accounts for the bulk of the country’s export earnings, making reliable air freight increasingly important for high-value and time-sensitive shipments.
Each flight offers 28 lie-flat Business Class seats and 374 Economy seats, reflecting Etihad’s strategy of deploying widebody aircraft on routes with strong demand from both passengers and freight customers.
The airline said travelers transiting through Abu Dhabi will also be able to take advantage of its stopover program, allowing passengers to spend time in the UAE capital before continuing to onward destinations.
The Dhaka launch is part of Etihad’s broader expansion across South Asia, where airlines are competing aggressively to capture growing travel demand driven by expanding economies, large diaspora populations and increasing trade flows.
The schedule includes flights from Abu Dhabi to Dhaka every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with return services operating on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
For Bangladesh, the new connection provides another direct gateway to global markets through Abu Dhabi, while reinforcing the Gulf’s role as a critical aviation hub linking South Asia with Europe, Africa and North America.
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