Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched a new nonstop flying route from Abu Dhabi to Shanghai. The airline takes its name from an Arabic word that literally means Union, which refers to the seven emirates that makes UAE.

Etihad’s new flight route is to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, which is the primary international airport serving Shanghai city. The airline has planned to operate five weekly flights by Airbus A330-300 starting April 15, 2012. Shanghai is the third destination of Etihad airways in China after Beijing and Chengdu.

The outbound flight to Shanghai number EY862, while the inbound flight to Abu Dhabi number is EY867. The EY refers to The International Air Transport Association (IATA) code of Etihad airways.

The EY 862 is scheduled to depart from Abu Dhabi international airport at 10:10 local time and arrive in Shanghai at 21:45 local time on all days except Mondays and Fridays. The flying time of the EY 862 is 7 hours and 35 minutes.

The EY867 is scheduled to depart from Shanghai Pudong international Airport at 00:20 local time and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 06:30 local time on all days except Tuesdays and Saturdays. The flying time of the EY867 is 10 hours and 10 minutes.

The difference between the duration of inbound and outbound flights is due to factors such as wind direction and the earth’s eastbound rotation. When a plane travels from east to west it takes longer than if it was flying in the other direction.

By adding Shanghai to Etihad’s list of destinations, new options have been created for travelers from Europe and the USA. Also, it bolsters tourism in the UAE and especially to Abu Dhabi city. Near Abu Dhabi international airport there are a lot of tourist attractions such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Island and Saadyat Island.

Also it is expected to add value to the booming trade between Middle East and China which hit 190 billion USD in 2010 according to the Chinese commerce ministry.

Lastly, the newly opened route is expected to ease the traveling of Chinese employees in the UAE to their homeland. Many Chinese citizens work in one of the 2000 Chinese firms in the UAE. Most of these firms work in the booming construction field.

Earlier in 2004, the Dubai-based airline Emirates was the first UAE originated airline to operate direct flights to Shanghai. Right now, the Emirates airline has three weekly flights by Airbus A380, the biggest passenger plane in the world.

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The tragic act of insanity on December 13, in which a lone man attacked a Christmas-market crowd with grenades and gunfire, is all the more shocking considering its location. The Belgian city of Liège deserves a far better distinction for its historical and cultural wealth, and its friendly residents.

The city is the capital of its province, also called ‘Liège,’ located in eastern Belgium. It sits on the river Meuse, not far from Cologne in Germany or Eindhoven in the Netherlands. It is the economic capital of Wallonia, the Francophone part of Belgium, and is the third-largest city of the land, behind Brussels and Antwerp.

Although the birthplace of Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, remains a mystery, some historians suggest it was in Liège or the nearby town of Herstal; others propose it was in one of half a dozen other (German) cities.

Liège’s location so near to Germany, the Netherlands and France has been a boon to its economy and relations, but it has also placed it in the middle of heavy battles over the centuries past. In particular, the famous ‘Battle of the Bulge’ in WWII was fought around the area and principally in the nearby Ardennes (‘Ardenne’ in Belgian) forests.

There are still buildings preserved with bullet-holes from the war. Other buildings of note include many churches, the cathedral and the palace of the Prince Bishops. This last one is located on the main square, ‘Place St.-Lambert,’ named after the bishop martyred c. 700AD. This is the square in which the attacks of December 13, 2011 occurred.

The Place St.-Lambert hosts a Christmas market, among the oldest and biggest in Europe. More than one million visitors pass through each year. A third of this number visits the city mid-August for ‘The Feast of the Assumption’ (the celebration of the Virgin Mary) and the fête of ‘Tchantchès,’ a folkloric character from the 19th century.

This character has puppets, a statue and a museum dedicated to him. There are several other museums, as well as festivals and holidays to entertain. Finally, Liège also offers a superior and varied culinary experience.

Liège waffles are found all over Belgium; meatballs are particularly popular; French fries are reckoned to have been created in the Meuse valley –they are especially good here; and ‘jambonneau,’ tender leg of ham, is a popular dish –the brasserie ‘L’Industrie’ specializes in these and in mussels, another Belgian forte, both with French fries.

It must be mentioned that there are over 500 types of Belgian beer, many of which can be found in Liège –sometimes in the cooking. Belgian truffles are also easily found and enjoyed here. Liège’s accessibility and its attractions have made it a popular stop in many European travels. With luck, the recent tragedy will not dissuade people from visiting this city.

Pawel Kielpinski / Shutterstock.com

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The holidays mean food, family, and friends for many Illinoisans, but it also means snow, sleet, ice, and fog on the roads for travelers. No matter how many years of driving experience you have under your belt, winter weather never fails to present a wide variety of challenges.

“Understanding how to drive safely in harsh weather conditions can protect you, your passengers and your vehicle,” said Bob Gallo, AARP Illinois State Director. ”Like many Illinoisans, I will be traveling this holiday season as well – and I definitely plan to take a few moments to review these tips and hope others do as well so we can all arrive at our destinations safely.”

AARP offers the following tips for staying safe on winter roads:

1. Winterize your vehicle to make sure your brakes, wipers, defroster, headlights and heater are all working properly.
2. Stop gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
3. Turn on your headlights to increase your visibility to other motorists, and keep your lights clean and free of ice or debris.
4. In unfavorable driving conditions, reduce your speed and increase the distance between your car and the one in front of you. Remember that it takes more time to stop on icy roads.
5. Stay alert. Look ahead to give yourself more time to react safely to situations without suddenly braking or skidding.
6. Before driving, clear all snow and ice from your vehicle’s hood, windows and roof.
7. Use snow or all-season tires or chains for better traction and smoother slowing. Remember that even with snow tires, you should use extra caution while driving in inclement weather — no tires allow you to drive on snow or ice at normal speeds.
8. Take extra precautions on bridges, overpasses, and shaded areas, which can freeze first, and remain icy longer than roadways. A road on which ice and snow are completely frozen is pretty slippery, even though it provides more traction than a road with melting ice.
9. In wet driving conditions, do not drive faster than the windshield wipers can clear water from the windshield. Make sure your wiper blades are in good shape, and replace them yearly.
10. Equip your car with emergency supplies, such as blankets, food, water, spare fuses, a flashlight with batteries, an ice scraper, flares and a first-aid kit.

Changing seasons bring new and different driving conditions, so consider registering for a driver-improvement course, such as the classroom or online courses offered by the AARP Driver Safety Program (www.aarp.org/driversafety) to learn valuable safety tips to keep you and your passengers safe all year round.

Huguette Roe / Shutterstock.com

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