Etihad Airways will operate a daily service between Abu Dhabi and Damascus from Nov 14, raising the route from four to seven weekly flights, the airline said in a press release.

Etihad launched the route with an inaugural flight in June. The airline said the service has been well received in both the UAE and Syria and has become an important link for families, business travellers and passengers connecting across its network. It said a daily schedule gives them considerably more choice in when they travel.

The airline noted that many Syrians have built their careers and raised families in the UAE, and said a daily service would make it easier to plan trips home around family occasions or long weekends.

Arik De, Etihad's chief revenue and commercial officer, said the response to the Damascus service had impressed the airline from the first flight and that "a daily service is the natural next step." He said the increase brings the Syrian capital within easy reach of passengers in the UAE and places Damascus one stop from the many destinations Etihad serves beyond Abu Dhabi.

According to the release, passengers travelling from Syria can connect in Abu Dhabi to Etihad destinations ranging from Muscat and the Maldives to North America, including Toronto, Calgary, New York and Charlotte. Calgary joins the network on Oct 25 and is Etihad's newest destination on the continent, the airline said.

The release also promoted Abu Dhabi as a stopover destination through Etihad's Stopover programme, and Damascus as a travel destination for visitors from the UAE.

Source: PR