CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Douglas Airport is welcoming a new international airline, with flights starting in May 2026.
The national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways, will begin nonstop flights from Charlotte to Abu Dhabi, which is 7,300 miles away, next year.
Featuring both Business and Economy cabins, the 303-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will operate the flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
This will mark the first scheduled service of a Boeing 787-9 in the airport’s history. But that’s not the only new feat this airline will accomplish for the Charlotte Douglas Airport.
“There’s about 15 hours flight, so it will be the longest flight served from Charlotte airport, so being able to connect farther than just Abu Dhabi,” officials announced at a press conference.
CEO Antonoaldo Neves said the airline strives for high standards.
“We’re a renowned airline for its service,” he said. “So it is a high service. High standard. High comfort airlines.”
Etihad Airlines is in only five other American cities. They just added Atlanta.
The airport has not launched a new international airline service since 2018 with nonstop flights to Guadalajara, Mexico, through Volaris.
The airline will also open one-stop access to destinations across the Middle East, India, and Asia.
“You can fly to the likes of Africa, the Indian subcontinent, or even go up to Thailand,” Neves said.
Tickets for the Abu Dhabi route are already available at etihad.com. Neves said economy tickets cost about $1,500.
WATCH | 9 Investigates: Charlotte Douglas’ new runway won’t feature Runway Status Lights
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
