Etihad Launches Its Biggest-Ever Summer Programme — June 2026

Etihad has launched what it describes as its largest-ever summer programme, expanding its network from Abu Dhabi with around 10% more capacity than last summer. The expansion centres on four new destinations and the return of five seasonal favourites, broadening the airline’s reach across Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean. All of the services operate from the carrier’s hub at Zayed International Airport (AUH), the Abu Dhabi gateway renamed in 2024.

Between 11 and 14 June 2026, Etihad launched four new routes from Abu Dhabi in four days. Kraków adds a direct link to one of central Europe’s major cultural cities, while Palma de Mallorca connects the capital with Spain’s Balearic Islands. Damascus restores a service into the wider region, and Zanzibar brings one of the Indian Ocean’s best-known leisure islands into the network. Together, the four destinations span Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean, and form the core of the airline’s expanded summer map.

Alongside the new destinations, Etihad is reinstating five seasonal summer routes from Abu Dhabi through June and July:

• Mykonos — twice weekly from 15 June
• Málaga — up to four times weekly from 15 June
• Santorini — twice weekly from 16 June
• Nice — twice weekly from 19 June
• Al Alamein — twice weekly from 16 July

These services run during the peak summer travel period, adding more leisure choice from Abu Dhabi on top of the four new destinations.

Beyond the network changes, Etihad and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi have introduced complimentary medical travel insurance for international visitors flying to Abu Dhabi on Etihad-operated flights. Administered by The National Insurance Company – Daman and available from July to December 2026, it provides eligible travellers with up to 15 days of medical cover in the UAE. The cover also applies to guests using Etihad’s stopover programme, which lets transiting passengers spend time in Abu Dhabi before continuing their journey.

For travellers based in or connecting through the UAE, the programme adds more direct options from Abu Dhabi across Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean this summer, with the new routes already operating and the seasonal services resuming through June and July. The complimentary visitor insurance is a further incentive for stopover and inbound travel. As of June 2026, all four new routes are flying; schedules and booking are available through Etihad’s official channels.