Etihad Airways announced an increase in service between Sydney (SYD) and Abu Dhabi (AUH). Additional service includes three extra flights per week. The change comes after Virgin Australia announced the move of its Abu Dhabi service from Sydney to Perth (PER), starting June 2017. Etihad plans to operate its added flights on the same schedule as Virgin Australia’s current Sydney–Abu Dhabi flights.

“Australia is a critical part of our network, and we will continue to add capacity in order to meet the growing two-way demand for business and leisure travel,” said Peter Baumgartner, CEO, Etihad Airways. “The allocation of our newest equipment, the A380 and 787, to all four Australian gateways, and investment of our next-generation product and service offering demonstrate our commitment to this highly competitive market.”

A Boeing 777-300ER with three classes services the route, offering eight seats in first class, 40 in business class and 280 in economy class.

Starting next February, travelers can expect flights departing Abu Dhabi at 9:25 a.m., arriving in Sydney at 6:15 a.m., the next day. Return flights depart Sydney at 4:20 p.m., arriving in Abu Dhabi at 11:55 p.m.

Etihad Airways additionally announced a codeshare agreement with Virgin Australia, adding its EY code to Virgin Australia’s Perth–Abu Dhabi route.

“From mid-2017, business and leisure travelers on the Perth route will enjoy the convenience of 10 weekly non-stop flights to our Abu Dhabi hub and seamless connectivity to more than 55 cities across Etihad Airways’ global network,” added Baumgartner.