Since its inaugural flight in June, the route has been warmly received by guests in both the UAE and Syria and has quickly established itself as an important link between the two countries for families, business travellers and guests continuing across Etihad’s network. The move to a daily schedule offers each of them considerably greater choice when they travel.

Many Syrians have built their careers and raised their families in the UAE. For them, a daily service means a journey home can be planned around a family occasion or a long weekend.

Arik De, chief revenue & commercial officer, Etihad Airways, said, “The response to our Damascus service has impressed us from the very first flight, and a daily service is the natural next step. It brings the Syrian capital within easy reach of our guests in the UAE, and places Damascus just one stop from the many destinations we serve beyond Abu Dhabi.”

From Abu Dhabi, guests travelling from Syria can continue onward with Etihad to destinations from Muscat and the Maldives to North America, including Toronto and Calgary, which joins the network on 25 October as Etihad's newest destination on the continent, as well as New York and Charlotte.