CHIANG MAI — Etihad Airways has launched direct flights connecting Abu Dhabi with Chiang Mai, marking the first-ever route between the northern Thai city and the United Arab Emirates. The move is part of Thailand’s effort to draw more high-spending tourists from the Middle East under the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Airline Focus strategy.
The inaugural flight, EY426, departed Abu Dhabi at 9:30 p.m. on November 3 and landed at Chiang Mai International Airport at 6:05 a.m. on November 4. The service uses an Airbus A321LR aircraft with a capacity of 160 passengers.
Veerapong Rittharod, deputy governor of Chiang Mai province, joined executives from TAT and Chiang Mai International Airport in welcoming passengers arriving on the maiden flight.
Etihad will operate four flights per week — on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The Abu Dhabi–Chiang Mai route spans 4,612 kilometers, making it the longest direct service to Chiang Mai Airport. It surpasses the previous record held by VietJet’s Chiang Mai–Kansai route, which covers about 3,979 kilometers.
The new connection follows Etihad’s successful launch of its Abu Dhabi–Krabi route in October. Together, the two routes give Middle Eastern travelers greater access to Thailand’s major tourist destinations and enable convenient multi-city itineraries such as Krabi–Bangkok–Chiang Mai or Chiang Mai–Phuket–Dubai.
TAT said the new service also strengthens access for long-haul travelers from Europe and the Americas, who can now reach northern Thailand more easily during the peak tourism season.
The initiative aligns with TAT’s strategy to attract “quality over quantity” visitors by extending their length of stay and boosting average spending, especially during the year-end travel period.
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