Etihad Airways to Operate First Airbus A380s on London Heathrow Route

Etihad Airways has confirmed that its first Airbus A380 will operate commercially to London Heathrow from December 2014.

A second A380 will operate on the same route from Q1 2015.

By the end of 2015, Etihad Airways will have five A380s in operation, with plans to also introduce A380 operations to both Sydney and New York JFK.

The first Etihad Airways B787-9 Dreamliner 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 Airways will have five 787-9s in operation.

The first B787s will initially be deployed on Washington DC, Düsseldorf and Mumbai routes.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said, “The A380 will be used to provide additional seats on existing routes where there is a need for increased capacity, and in particular, high demand for First and Business Class travel.”

Etihad Airways 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 guests in four living spaces on the aircraft. This includes two VIP passengers in The Residence by Etihad, nine in the innovative First Class Apartments, 70 in the new Business Class Studios, and 417 in Economy Class.

Etihad Airways also has major plans for the B787 which enters the fleet in Q4 2014.

In December the mostly composite aircraft will be deployed first on routes between Abu Dhabi and Düsseldorf, and services to Washington DC and Mumbai will commence in January 2015.

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 operator 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 three living spaces aboard the aircraft, configured to carry 235 guests.

There are eight First Suites in First Class, 28 Business Studios in Business Class and 199 Economy Smart Seats in Economy Class.

Mr Baumgartner said, “The B787 is a fantastic addition to our fleet and, similar to the A380, it sets new standards in terms of passenger comfort, product and, crucially, economics. Over the coming years this next-generation aircraft will be used by Etihad Airways to launch flights to new destinations, add capacity in existing markets and progressively replace existing, less-efficient aircraft.”