Etihad Airways to offer discount Australia flights

Etihad Airways is celebrating its recent route expansion by offering cheap flights to Australia.The airline is joining forces with Virgin Blue to offer new flights to key destinations such as Adelaide and Cairns. There will also be a number of additional services to New Zealand as part of the expansion.

To celebrate the new routes, the carrier has announced a number of cheap flights departing from Heathrow Airport. As part of the sale, travellers could find a return from London to Ayres Rock for £947.

Etihad is also launching its new Australia Skypass scheme, which will enable passengers to save on domestic flights within Australia and New Zealand. Tourists will be able to add up to six additional flights for around £36 per sector.

The company’s chief commercial officer Peter Baumgartner explained: “We believe the Australia Skypass will be a boon for domestic tourism in Australia, giving untapped European tourists access to secondary ports such as Tasmania and Far North Queensland.”

He added: “This kind of inbound fare product will showcase Australia beyond just Melbourne and Sydney.”

At the end of 2009, Etihad Airways had expanded its route network to over  50 destinations, including offering new services to Melbourne, Istanbul, Athens and Cape Town.

Written by Ruth Norris