Etihad Airways Confirms Initial A380 and 787 Routes

The Abu Dhabi-based airline’s first Airbus A380 will operate commercially to London Heathrow from December 2014, while its first Boeing 787-9s will debut on routes to Düsseldorf from December this year and then to Washington DC and Mumbai from January 2015.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline’s first A380 will operate commercially to London Heathrow from December 2014.

A second A380 will operate on the same route from the first quarter of 2015 and by the end of 2015, Etihad will have five of the type in operation, with plans to also introduce them on routes to both Sydney and New York JFK.


The airline has a total of 10 A380s on firm order. Four A380s will arrive in 2015, three in 2016 and two in 2017. Each aircraft is designed to carry 498 passengers in four living spaces on the aircraft. This includes two VIP customers in its new The Residence by Etihad concept, nine customers in an innovative First Class Apartments layout, 70 customers in its new Business Class Studios, and 417 customers in Economy Class.

Etihad also has major plans for the B787 which enters the fleet in the final quarter of 2014. Etihad’s first B787-9 will enter commercial service in December 2014, with a second aircraft entering service in January 2015. As with the A380, by the end of 2015, Etihad will have five of the type in operation. The first B787s will initially be deployed on its route between Abu Dhabi and Düsseldorf from December this year and then to Washington DC and Mumbai from January 2015. Services to other cities will be confirmed in 2015 as more B787s enter the airline’s aircraft fleet, says the carrier.

The airline has a total of 71 B787s scheduled for delivery between the end of 2014 and 2023, including 41 B787-9s and 30 B787-10s, making it the largest customer of the aircraft type in the world. Two B787s are scheduled for delivery in Q4 2014 with three due to arrive in 2015, three in 2016 and nine in 2017. All five initial B787 deliveries will have a three-class arrangement aboard the aircraft, configured to carry 235 customers. There will be eight First Suites in First Class, 28 Business Studios in Business Class and 199 Economy Smart Seats in Economy Class.
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