Abu Dhabi based Etihad has taken delivery of three new Boeing 787 Dreamliners as it seeks to expand its fleet to 160 aircraft by 2030. The airline also has plans to operate to 125 destinations by the same year.
The Boeing 787-9 aircraft all feature Etihad’s new cabin in a two class configuration featuring 32 of Etihad’s luxurious business suites and 271 economy seats.
Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said: “We are thrilled to welcome these brand-new, state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliners to Abu Dhabi. Their arrival is key to our network expansion strategy and comes at the perfect time as we continue to add multiple new destinations and expand frequencies into key markets.
“These new aircraft support our commitment to Abu Dhabi, allowing us to bring more guests to experience the incredible capital of the UAE, either as their end destination or on a stopover when connecting across our expanding network.”
The business class suites feature a customised version of Collins’ Elements seat and it is the first time it had been used on a Boeing 787.
Each suite has direct aisle access and fully flat bed a massive 78” in length. They boast a 17.3” 4K TV screen as well as Bluetooth headphone pairing, wireless charging, and multiple charging ports, and plenty of storage.
Seats in the economy cabin have also had an upgrade compared to existing Etihad Dreamliners. The seats are lighter making the aircraft more economic 54 of they have an additional 4″ of leg room which can be selected when booking.
Economy seats feature a 13.3″ 4K touch screen monitor and can be paired with personal headphones and tablets.
The three aircraft are also equipped with Viasat connectivity which uses Ka-band technology offering high-speed Wi-Fi with streaming capabilities on board as well as Live TV, including news and sport channels.