(Calgary, Canada) - Etihad Airways has begun nonstop service between Calgary and Abu Dhabi, adding a direct connection between Alberta and the United Arab Emirates.

Alberta’s government welcomed the launch in an October 25 statement. Gulf News reports that the inaugural flight, EY29, arrived in Calgary that Sunday, opening the first nonstop link between the two cities.

The service is operating four times weekly with Boeing 787-9 aircraft, according to Gulf News. Calgary becomes Etihad’s second Canadian destination alongside Toronto.

A link for travellers and businesses

The route connects Calgary directly with the UAE capital and provides access to Etihad’s onward network through Abu Dhabi.

Alberta’s jobs and trade minister, Joseph Schow, said the connection could help businesses, investors and visitors travel between the jurisdictions. Those anticipated trade and tourism benefits are the government’s assessment, rather than measured results from the new service.

Sources: Government of Alberta, October 25 statement; Gulf News, October 25 launch report; Etihad Airways, current route information.

Editorial illustration of the Calgary–Abu Dhabi air connection; not a photograph of the inaugural flight.