Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has launched its inaugural service from its home base at Abu Dhabi to Larnaca, Cyprus. Flight EY093 took off from Abu Dhabi airport on Sunday 14 June at 9.40 A.M. and arrived on schedule at Larnaca at 12.15 P.M. the same day. The launch of direct flights will support greater tourism flow between the two countries, particularly for UAE residents who are increasingly looking to take short weekend breaks in Cyprus. The new route will also enable Cyprus residents the chance to access Etihad's expanding global flight network which includes several key cities with large Cypriot communities such as Melbourne, Sydney and Johannesburg, as well as other popular destinations including Bangkok, Singapore, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Muscat and Manila. Etihad Airways operates a two-class Airbus A320 aircraft between Abu Dhabi and Cyprus. It is configured to carry 140 passengers, with 20 seats in business class and 120 in economy class. Flight EY093 flies every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. It departs from Abu Dhabi at 9:40 A.M. and arrives in Larnaca at 12:15 P.M. The return flight, EY094, departs from Larnaca at 3:35 P.M. and arrives in Abu Dhabi at 8:05 P.M. local time.