So, de bang... Etihad's Airbus A321-LR spotted at Malpensa with brand new First Class suites on board
The A321neo is still a relatively new model for Etihad Airways, as the first one arrived in Abu Dhabi in [...]
Etihad Airways
MXP
United Arab Emirates
The A321neo is still a relatively new model for Etihad Airways, as the first one arrived in Abu Dhabi last May. Even newer are of two neo -LRs with the three-class configuration that includes. The only First Class mounted on a narrow-body aircraft., with two suites in the first row of the passenger cabin, followed by 14 Business seats and 144 Economy seats.
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Normal, then, that Etihad needs to let its crews practice, especially on board the -LRs equipped with First Class. And it is perhaps in this key that the following can be explained. the sudden appearance at Milan Malpensa of one of the two A321LRs equipped with First. It happened on Thursday, September 11, when the Airbus bireactor took the place of the Boeing 787-9 that regularly operates EY78/EY79 rotations.
To wit, Etihad operates twice daily between the Gulf and Lombard Airport. It does so with a Boeing 787-10 and a 787-9 that are both two-classes of service, with 32 seats in Business and 295 in Economy on the former and 28 seats in Business and 262 in Economy on the latter. Etihad also has a small number of three-class 787-9s in its fleet: these are five aircraft configured with 8 seats in First, 28 in Business and 190 in Economy. Queen class is also on the 9 A380s and one of the 9 Boeing 777-300ERs that are part of its fleet. And now on some A321-LRs as well.
On Milan, however, Etihad currently offers only Business and Economy. But things will change from November 4, when the A321-LR will make its official debut on the route operating flights EY88/EY89. At first, the weekly frequencies will be two, and then will grow during Winter 2025-2026 up to five weekly in February and March.
On Thursday, September 11, however, the Emirati carrier. has surprised its passengers by sending its brand new A321LR to Malpensa for the first time. three-class. Operated by the A6-LRA-branded specimen, flight AY 79 left Abu Dhabi at 2:39 p.m. and set the wheels down in Malpensa at 7:02 p.m., with a flight time of 6 hours and 23 minutes. In the opposite direction, EY80 took off at 10:54 p.m. and landed in the UAE at 6:36 a.m. after 5 hours and 42 minutes.
