Kazakhstan?s largest city, with a population of 1.2 million people, will be served non-stop, four times a week from Abu Dhabi, using an Airbus A319 aircraft. Etihad will offer the fastest same-airline service between South Africa and Kazakhstan, cutting eight hours off the current fastest routing via Europe, firmly positioning Etihad as the most convenient option to Almaty.

Flight EY296 will depart Abu Dhabi on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10.20am and arrive in Almaty at 4.35pm. Return flight EY297 will depart Almaty on the same days at 5.35pm, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 8.30am.

From Johannesburg, guests will depart on Monday, Friday and Sunday evenings at 9.20am to arrive in Abu Dhabi at 7.10am the following morning. A three hour transit follows before the departure of the onward flight. Returning from Almaty on Mondays and Fridays, there is a transit time of six hours and 30 minutes (although this is still the fastest same-airline transit).

The announcement follows a visit last week to Kazakhstan by His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation between the two nations.

Since gaining independence in October 1990, Kazakhstan has benefited from major foreign investment, particularly in the oil and gas sector which has brought rapid economic growth to the country.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways? chief executive, said: ?With its vast oil and gas fields, Kazakhstan is sitting on some of the richest mineral resources in the world. Despite its enormous economic potential, this is a market however which at present is under-served in terms of air links.

?Foreign companies are investing heavily in Kazakhstan and we anticipate substantial demand for our flights, not just between Almaty and Abu Dhabi but also onward onto the rest of our network. As two major oil-producing countries, strong links already exist between the UAE and Kazakhstan, which Etihad is very keen to develop further.

Kazakhstan is already among the world's top 20 oil producers and expects to be one the world's top oil exporters in the next decade or two, as foreign investment in new pipelines continues.

Almaty will be Etihad?s ninth destination in its rapidly expanding flight network in the Asia-Pacific region which already includes services to Brisbane, Sydney, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok and Beijing.

Etihad will operate a two-class Airbus A319 configured to carry 104 passengers with 20 seats in business class and 84 in economy class.

For more information visit www.etihadairways.com.