Etihad (finally) ready to get its A350/1000s off the ground
The UAE's flag carrier, even before the pandemic, had already begun a slimming treatment. Giving up chasing [...]
Etihad Airways
AUH
United Arab Emirates
The flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates., even before the pandemic, had begun a weight-loss treatment. Giving up chasing Emirates and especially stopping all the wrong investments such as those in Alitalia, Jet Airways and Air Berlin.
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This had led to network reduction, fleet retirement of 777s and almost all A380s, and a decrease in personnel.
Against this backdrop of transformation Etihad had parked its A350/1000s, the larger version of the made-in-Airbus flagship, even before the outbreak of the pandemic to await better times.
At the last Dubai Air Show Etihad finally showed one example, of the 20 that will join the fleet, unveiling the cabin layout.
It was confirmed that there will be neither first class nor premium economy, but one piece of news surprised everyone: the business class setup Will be different than the cabin proposed on the 787 fleet.
The new business class cabin will be a different and equally beautiful model: the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond that is featured in the new British Airways Club World Suite, complete with a door that completely isolates the passenger from the aisle.
"We look forward to our guests experiencing our state-of-the-art Airbus A350s when they debut later this year, taking pride of place alongside our Boeing 787s. With one of the most fuel-efficient fleets in the world and with sustainability at the top of our agenda, we will continue to pave the way for more sustainable flights in 2022 and beyond."
Thus the CEO Tony Douglas actually confirmed in recent days that after two years of hibernation Etihad's flagship is finally ready to take flight.
Now the first routes where the new aircraft in the livery of the Emirates carrier will fly have also been made official:
- Istanbul (IST) - daily from April 1 to June 30, 2022
- Mumbai (BOM) - daily from April 1 to June 30, 2022
- Jeddah (JED) - 6 times a week between April 3 and June 30, 2022
- Delhi (DEL) - daily from April 30 to June 30, 2022
- Cairo (CAI) - 4 times a week from May 2 to June 30, 2022
There will also be a special christening with a flight connecting Abu Dhabi with Paris next March 31.
It is evident that, at least at this early stage, Etihad's management has chosen to focus on connections that are not too long to allow pilots and crew to become familiar with the new aircraft, before pointing the course toward the intercontinental network and with significantly fuller planes.
Great news for economy passengers as well: the A350 is in all respects a better aircraft than the B787, and the tourist cabin layout will be with 9-seat rows configured 3-3-3, so identical to that of the Dreamliners, but where passengers will enjoy a quieter aircraft and much larger windows.
In conclusion
The future of this company, assuming it does not marry Emirates at some point, Is intended to be considerably smaller than what were the plans at the beginning of the millennium. Also Abu Dhabi Airport is one-tenth that of Dubai the result of different tourist appeal between the two most famous emirates of the 7 that make up the UAE.
In general, however, it is good that the A350 is entering the fleet, and we hope that it will soon arrive on the company's Italian routes.
