Etihad Airways is celebrating Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, by treating guests on select routes to a range of traditional Indian sweets and delicacies on October 31 and November 1.

These special treats will be served across all cabins on flights to and from India, as well as on services to the UK (London and Manchester), US (Boston, Chicago, New York and Washington DC), Toronto in Canada and Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Guests can indulge in a delightful selection of traditional Diwali sweets including the traditional Laddu, milk-based Barfi, cardamom-spiced Peda, rose-scented Gulab Jamun, and golden Jalebi, alongside festive favourites like Kalakhand, Gujhia and the honeycomb-textured Ghewar.

In the meantime, Etihad said it is enhancing its inflight dining experience through partnerships with local catering providers across India, bringing authentic regional cuisine to guests across all cabins, ensuring authentic local flavours on every flight.

Through these local partnerships, Etihad, which marks 20 years of operations to India, offers dishes that truly reflect each region's rich culinary heritage across its comprehensive network of Indian cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mumbai, New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram. Guests experience distinctive regional specialities and traditional flavours unique to each departure city.

"Food is deeply personal and connects us to our culture and traditions," said Turky Al Hammadi, Director of Product and Hospitality at Etihad Airways.

"Working with local culinary experts across our network allows us to bring authentic dishes to our guests, ensuring they experience genuine flavours that remind them of home."

Mumbai departures showcase Maharashtrian flavours, while New Delhi flights highlight the richness of Mughlai cuisine. Guests departing from other cities across India similarly enjoy their own regional specialities prepared according to traditional recipes.

This collaboration with local providers not only ensures authentic taste experiences but also demonstrates Etihad's commitment to the communities it serves, supporting local businesses while bringing genuine flavours to guests throughout their journey.

As a leading global airline serving 80 destinations worldwide and with staff from more than 140 different nationalities, Etihad is proud to celebrate a wide range of multi-cultural festivities on board such as Diwali, Ramadan, Eid, Thanksgiving and the holiday season.

This year, Etihad has significantly boosted its network across India, launching services to Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram and Jaipur and now serving 11 destinations across India.

Just four months after Etihad commenced flights to the Rajasthan city of Jaipur, the airline has announced it will increase flights between Abu Dhabi and Jaipur to 10 a week from 15 December 2024, demonstrating the popularity of the route. – TradeArabia News Service