Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, yesterday began scheduled services between its hub in Abu Dhabi and Chengdu in southwest China.Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, will be served by four non-stop services per week.

The chief executive Officer of Etihad Airways, James Hogan, said the new route had special significance as the first and only direct flight between Sichuan province and the UAE.This is a day of cele-bration for the airline and the communities at both ends of the route. The new services will open convenient new gateways for travel to and from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and stimulate growth of trade between the UAE and China, already the Emirates’ third largest trading partner.