Etihad Airways will commence flights to Perth, Western Australia, on 15th July 2014. The airline will offer six weekly flights from Dublin to Perth with seamless connections at its Abu Dhabi hub. 
The Abu Dhabi – Perth sector will be operated by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft with 262 seats in two classes – 22 seats in Pearl Business Class and 240 in Coral Economy Class.
Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive James Hogan said the flights to Perth would bring new airline competition to the popular route. “Our flights from Dublin to Perth will offer Irish travellers an unprecedented choice of travel options with the convenience of seamless connections in Abu Dhabi.
“Our analysis shows there is a significant business opportunity on the Ireland to Perth route, with visitor arrivals averaging an annual growth rate of more than 27% over the past three years. Approximately 32% of all Irish visitors are choosing Perth as their gateway to Australia – a trend that is forecast to continue.
“This remarkable growth can be attributed to Western Australia’s appeal as a holiday destination and the state government’s programmes to entice skilled Irish workers to live and work in the state.
“We also expect the new service will appeal strongly to Western Australians who wish to visit Ireland, and we will work with the excellent team at Tourism Ireland to develop this opportunity.
“Our codeshare with Virgin Australia to 14 towns and cities throughout Western Australia adds immensely to the competitive strength of our offering. Together we can offer travellers from Ireland the convenience of a single ticket purchase, through-checked baggage, convenient flight connections and best-in-class service.”
Etihad Airways codeshares with Virgin Australia to Albany, Broome, Busselton, Derby, Esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Kununurra, Karratha, Learmonth, Paraburdoo, Port Hedland, Ravensthorpe and Newman.
