Blue Moon Rising – the paint's still fresh

ETIHAD Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has boosted its sponsorship of Manchester City with the unveiling of a specially liveried A330-200 aircraft.

The new “Blue Moon Rising” livery also marks the commencement of double daily flights between Manchester and Abu Dhabi, effective from August 1. Etihad currently flies to the UAE’s capital city seven times a week.

A team of 40 painters worked around the clock for 18 days in Abu Dhabi to paint the A330-200 in the colours of Manchester City. 450 litres of paint were required to complete the job.

The aircraft, which will operate on the Abu Dhabi-Manchester route, will also serve Milan, Frankfurt, Brussels, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Singapore, Istanbul and destinations throughout the Middle East and India.

Etihad Airways has been City’s main club sponsor since May, 2009 and In December, 2010, opened its premium lounge at Manchester Airport.