Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will open a direct route from Ho Chi Minh City to Abu Dhabi in October 2013.

Speaking at a ceremony in HCM City on October 9, Etihad Airways Chairman and CEO James Hogan said that his compacy will use Airbus A330 aircraft for the daily flights that will depart from HCM City at 8:15 am and arrive in Abu Dhabi after seven hours.

The air route will help bring Vietnam and the UAE closer as well as open up opportunities for economic, trade, cultural and tourism cooperation between the two countries, he said.

HCM City is the sixth destination of Etihad Airways in Southeast Asia, together with Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore.

The official added that the carrier is considering the opening of another air route from Hanoi to the UAE.