Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, will increase its Abu Dhabi-Munich services from seven flights per week to a double daily schedule from Feb. 1, 2014.

Munich was Etihad Airways’ first destination in Germany, and a daily flight linking the Bavarian capital with Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi hub commenced in June 2004. Since then, the airline has carried over one million passengers between the two cities.

James Hogan, president and CEO of Etihad Airways, said: “Munich, Germany’s third biggest city, has been one of our most successful European destinations because it retains very strong volumes of business and leisure passengers throughout the year.

“This doubling of capacity is about serving the growing bi-directional demand, adding depth and scale to our German operations, and facilitating better connections with equity partner airberlin.

“The new schedule means that Etihad Airways and airberlin will together offer a combined 49 weekly services from four cities in Germany — Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin and Dusseldorf — to Abu Dhabi.

“From across our network the new double daily schedule will offer customers more convenient travel options to Germany and Europe, and in the other direction, additional connections over Abu Dhabi to destinations across the GCC, the Indian subcontinent, Africa, Asia, and Australia.”

Munich-based passengers will be able to choose from new daily connections to markets such as the Maldives, Seychelles, Johannesburg, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, and Melbourne.

The new flight schedule provides customers with a choice of conveniently timed daytime or overnight services between Munich Airport’s Terminal 1 and Abu Dhabi.