Etihad Airways has secured seven additional weekly flight frequencies from Abu Dhabi to Australia.

The additional flights were awarded following bilateral negotiations between the United Arab Emirates and the Australian Government.

The seven flights can be operated to any gateway in Australia, which includes Etihad’s current destinations of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

A further seven weekly flights have been granted to Etihad on the condition that the operator also flies via or on to a regional airport.

The airline currently flies 21 times a week between Abu Dhabi and Australia including 11 flights to Sydney, seven to Melbourne and three to Brisbane. The new flight slots will be available from March 2011.