Four weekly Airbus A321LR services will begin on 17 December 2026, extending West Sweden’s first direct link to the UAE beyond its originally planned winter season
Etihad Airways will operate four weekly flights between Gothenburg and Abu Dhabi from 17 December 2026, with the service now confirmed as year-round. — Credit: Etihad Airways
- Etihad Airways has converted its newly announced Gothenburg–Abu Dhabi route from a seasonal winter service to a year-round operation before the first flight takes off.
- Flights will begin on 17 December 2026 and operate four times weekly between Göteborg Landvetter Airport and Abu Dhabi.
- The route will use a 160-seat Airbus A321LR configured with two First Suites, 14 Business seats and 144 Economy seats.
- Etihad and Swedavia say early demand has come from both directions, supporting leisure, visiting-friends-and-relatives and business connectivity between West Sweden, the Gulf, India and Asia.
(NEWS) GOTHENBURG, Sweden, 2026-Sep-02 — /Travel PR News/ — A new nonstop link between western Sweden and the Gulf is becoming a permanent fixture before its first passenger has even boarded. Etihad Airways has converted its forthcoming Gothenburg–Abu Dhabi service from a limited winter route into a year-round operation after what the airline describes as exceptionally strong demand during the first three weeks of sales.
The decision means the four-times-weekly service between Göteborg Landvetter Airport (GOT) and Abu Dhabi (AUH) will continue beyond the end of the 2026/27 winter season rather than stopping in March as originally planned. Flights are still scheduled to begin on 17 December 2026, giving West Sweden a direct air connection to the United Arab Emirates throughout the year.
When the route was first announced on 12 August, Etihad planned to operate it only until 21 March 2027. Less than a month later, the airline and airport operator Swedavia confirmed that bookings from both ends of the route had been strong enough to justify keeping Gothenburg in the network through the rest of the year.
A year-round bridge from West Sweden to Abu Dhabi and Asia
The significance goes beyond a direct flight to the UAE capital. Swedavia says the service addresses long-standing demand from companies and travellers across western Sweden for better access to the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub opens onward connections to destinations including Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Singapore, Hanoi, Bali, Shanghai, Taipei, Bengaluru and Colombo.
In the other direction, Etihad is also targeting travellers from across its global network who want to visit Gothenburg and Sweden’s west coast. The original winter-only schedule would have ended before the Scandinavian summer season; year-round flying now gives inbound visitors access to the destination during the long summer evenings as well as during winter.
Mats Johannesson, chief executive of Swedavia, said the early upgrade showed there had been pent-up demand for a direct connection between Gothenburg and the UAE. He also highlighted the importance of the route for West Sweden’s business links with Asia and for travellers visiting friends and relatives across the broader region.
Arik De, Etihad Airways’ Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, said the airline had underestimated the Gothenburg market when it initially announced a seasonal schedule. The strength of bookings from both Sweden and Etihad’s wider network gave the carrier enough confidence to move to a year-round operation before the inaugural flight.
Etihad’s A321LR brings three cabins to the route
The route will be operated by Etihad’s Airbus A321LR, a long-range narrowbody aircraft the airline is using to open markets where a smaller aircraft can support nonstop service while still carrying its full three-cabin product. According to Etihad’s 2 September update, the 160-seat aircraft will have two First Suites, 14 Business seats and 144 Economy seats.
First and Business Class seats convert into fully flat beds with direct aisle access, while Economy is equipped with 13.3-inch 4K entertainment screens. Etihad also says high-speed Wi-Fi will be available across all three cabins.
For connecting passengers, Abu Dhabi can also be used as more than a transfer point. Etihad’s stopover programme allows eligible travellers with qualifying itineraries to add up to two complimentary hotel nights in Abu Dhabi or Al Ain, subject to programme terms and availability.
Gothenburg joins Etihad’s broader network expansion
Gothenburg is the fifteenth new destination Etihad has launched in 2026, part of a network expansion spanning Europe, Asia and Africa. The airline’s current destination portfolio now lists Gothenburg among the newest additions to its network, with flying scheduled from December.
For Göteborg Landvetter Airport, the upgrade adds permanence to one of its most strategically important new long-haul links. Swedavia describes Landvetter as western Sweden’s international airport, serving a region with significant corporate, leisure and visiting-friends-and-relatives demand. The airport’s own traffic profile shows a broad European network, making the direct Abu Dhabi service a notable extension into a new long-haul market.
Tickets for the Gothenburg–Abu Dhabi route are already on sale through Etihad’s booking channels. With the seasonal end date now removed, travellers can plan the connection beyond March 2027 rather than treating it as a short winter experiment.
