The national airline of the UAE will serve Kansai International Airport with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Osaka Castle during cherry blossom season. (Photo courtesy of Etihad Airways)
Etihad Airways has announced that it will begin flying to Osaka five times per week this fall, making it the Gulf carrier’s second gateway in Japan. From October 1, outbound flight EY830 will leave Abu Dhabi at 9:40 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, touching down at Kansai International Airport at 11:55 a.m. the next day after an estimated nine hours and 15 minutes in the air. The return journey will be slightly longer at 10 hours and 30 minutes. Scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, EY831 take off from Osaka at 5:25 p.m. and land back in Abu Dhabi at 10:55 p.m. local time.
Etihad will be deploying a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the new route, whose debut will support the growing trade and tourism ties between the UAE and Japan while complementing the airline’s existing Tokyo service. Osaka has long been known as the “Kitchen of Japan”: traveling gourmands can look forward to Michelin-starred restaurants and a plethora of local street-food delicacies such as takoyaki and savory okonomiyaki pancakes.
“We’re delighted to introduce flights to Osaka for the first time,” said Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, in a press statement. “Equally, the new route opens up Abu Dhabi to visitors from Osaka, and we look forward to welcoming guests to our vibrant home as well as giving them access to our growing, global network.”
