Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is accelerating its growth in the United States with two major enhancements to its North American network, increasing capacity and connectivity across key markets. Chicago O’Hare will move to double-daily service, while Charlotte will increase to daily flights from 15 June, building on strong early performance following the launch of services on 20th March 2026.
Together, the enhancements significantly expand Etihad’s US footprint, strengthening connectivity between North America and high-growth markets across India and Asia-Pacific, while improving access to the U.S. domestic network through partner airlines.
The expanded schedule will offer travellers greater flexibility and more seamless connections beyond Chicago and Charlotte to major cities across the United States, and onwards across Etihad’s global network. Both routes will be operated by Etihad’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, featuring 32 Business and 271 Economy seats.
Chicago remains one of Etihad’s most established gateways in North America. Moving to double-daily service will deepen connectivity and unlock a broader range of one-stop journeys via Abu Dhabi to high-demand destinations across Etihad’s network.
These include 11 gateways across India — Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai — as well as key Asia-Pacific destinations such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Manila. Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer at Etihad Airways, said, “Chicago continues to be a cornerstone of our US network.
Moving to double-daily flights reflects the sustained performance of the route and enables us to offer guests greater flexibility while deepening connectivity through Abu Dhabi, strengthening links to key markets across India and Asia-Pacific.” Following the successful launch of services in March, Etihad will increase its Charlotte service from four-weekly to daily from 15 June until 8 September, marking one of the fastest route expansions in the airline’s network.
The move reflects strong demand from both point-to-point and connecting traffic and reinforces Etihad’s long-term commitment to the market. The daily service strengthens links between Charlotte and Etihad’s global network, enabling efficient one-stop connections via Abu Dhabi to key destinations across India and Asia-Pacific, while also supporting inbound travel to the United States.
De added, “We are grateful to the people of Charlotte for the strong support they have shown since launch. Scaling to daily service so rapidly after launching is a clear signal of how quickly the route is gaining traction and the role it can play in our U.S. network.
The increase strengthens links between the Southeast U.S. and our global network, supporting both passenger and cargo flows while enabling efficient access to key markets across India and Asia-Pacific.
The expansion forms part of Etihad’s phased approach to growing its network, with additional capacity deployed in line with demand across key markets.
The enhanced schedule strengthens connectivity between Abu Dhabi and key destinations across the Middle East, India, South Asia and beyond, while also improving access to the US domestic market through Etihad’s partner airlines.
