Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways has announced that the company is reintroducing four of its A380s in 2023, following a surge in demand for air travel.
Etihad’s A380s features The Residence and three cabin classes on the double-decker aircraft, including nine First Apartments, 70 Business Studios and 405 Economy Smart Seats. The airline also includes 80 Economy Space seats with a seat pitch of up to 36 inches.
It is wonderful to announce the return of this splendid aircraft. The A380’s reintroduction further boosts Etihad’s capacity into the key United Kingdom market, with a knock-on effect for the wider Gulf Cooperation Council and the Indian subcontinent that will bring more visitors to the city of Abu Dhabi.
Mr. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of Etihad Aviation Group
Mr. Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways remarked that, “We know this will be welcomed by our guests who love Etihad’s incredible A380 and its award-winning cabins. We have decided the time is right to return some of our A380s to the fleet to satisfy the demand, which has made them financially viable once more. We look forward to welcoming our guests on board this remarkable aircraft again.”
The nine First Apartments include a private living space with a large leather lounge chair and an ottoman which opens up to become a separate fully-flat bed. The First Apartment also offers a 24″ swiveling LCD TV monitor and personal vanity unit.
For the first time, Etihad plans to eventually offer The Residence as an optional extra for guests to further enhance their First experience.
The airline also offers Lobby for guests in First and Business class. A Lobby is a serviced lounge and bar area between the two cabins and it features leather sofas, refreshments and a large TV with a USB connection. Furthermore, the airline will add five of the smaller A320 siblings to support the A380s.
The airline is reintroducing A380s with an intention of freeing up capacity for increased frequencies on existing routes and launching new destinations.