Etihad Airways 777 takes NBA Mavericks to Abu Dhabi

Watch as Etihad Airways Flight 2025 (a Boeing 777 with registration number A6-ETG) begins its 14 hour and 23 minute journey from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Abu Dhabi carrying the NBA Dallas Mavericks basketball team to an exhibition series with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Recorded on October 1, 2023. The flight departed at 6:46 p.m. CT, almost 6 hours after it landed:
• Runway DFW: Ethiad's f...
The DFW PlaneSpotters channel got closer view of the arrival:
• THE RETURN OF ETIHAD A...
This trip marks Etihad's return to DFW after ending its scheduled Abu Dhabi passenger service in 2018.
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Live from the second-busiest airport in the USA, Runway DFW serves up action-packed landings, takeoffs and taxiing from DFW Founders' Plaza, which offers a terrific overview of activities on the west side of this sprawling facility, including Terminal B and international Terminal D.

[@TheDexterFishbourne]

I was in McKinney headed to the house when I saw the long shape up in the sky to the northeast. Had to check to see who it was on ADSBExhange. I thought it was a A340

[@michellers2966]

Fabulous!! Groovy!! 😊

[@maryexstroughtonaire4244]

Walt! You are the man, The Camera Man.

[@leightoncalhoun8087]

That's so cool 😎 beautiful takeoff thank you 😁

[@angelasmith3727]

Yay, you stayed to get it!!!!!! 😅

[@RunwayDFW]

Well... I went to lunch and then decided to go back and wait it out! ⌚

[@Kaviationfilms]

Thanks for sharing Walt, great catch. So did Etihad only fly for the NBA @Abu Dhabi, or are they bringing back service

[@RunwayDFW]

Looks like this was strictly related to the NBA exhibition series in Abu Dhabi... haven't seen anything indicating Etihad's return to passenger service at DFW.

[@Aviation_of_Houston]

Cool 😎

[@marque1d]

What goes into the decision to taxi to the east side of the airport? Is it routine for all of the ME3?

[@RunwayDFW]

Generally, eastbound aircraft take off from the east side of DFW (and vice-versa) to assist in traffic separation. But it's not a rule, and I'd estimate that perhaps 30 percent of eastbound flights lift off from the west side (and vice-versa).