Etihad Airways adds Kraków, Palma de Mallorca to European network from UAE

Etihad Airways launched direct services from Abu Dhabi to Kraków and Palma de Mallorca this week, with the Polish route beginning on June 11 and the Balearic connection following on June 12, the carrier announced on June 12.

The additions extend the national carrier’s push into Europe’s leisure market, where Gulf airlines are competing to feed long-haul traffic through their hubs onward to Asia, Africa and Australia. Each route operates three times weekly aboard the Airbus A321LR, the narrow-body aircraft Etihad has deployed to open thinner premium-leisure markets that would not support larger widebodies.

Kraków becomes Etihad’s second Polish destination after Warsaw, which launched in June 2025. The carrier said it is the only airline offering a First cabin between the city and the Gulf. Southern Poland’s largest tourist draw, Kraków is home to Wawel Castle and a UNESCO-listed medieval old town.

The Palma de Mallorca service marks the first direct link between the Balearic Islands and the Gulf, opening Mallorca, Ibiza and the wider archipelago to travellers connecting through Abu Dhabi in a single stop.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer at Etihad Airways, said the routes signalled the carrier’s wider European ambitions. “Kraków and Palma de Mallorca are two of the continent’s most captivating destinations, and by connecting them directly to our home in Abu Dhabi we are opening new possibilities for leisure travellers, businesses and communities,” he said.

The A321LR carries two private First suites with sliding doors, 14 window-facing lie-flat Business seats with direct-aisle access, and 144 Economy seats, with high-speed Wi-Fi across all cabins.

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