27 Aug 2014 18:00
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has reaffirmed its commitment to start Airbus A380 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operations in December 2014, with additional flights on sale this week for both aircraft and an extensive pilot training program now underway.
During its first year of
operations, the Airbus A380 will be deployed on Etihad Airways’ three daily
flights between Abu Dhabi and London, together with selected flights to Sydney,
which was today confirmed as the second destination to be served by the
aircraft.
Between December 2014 and
June 2015, the Boeing 787-9 will be introduced on six of the airline’s routes,
including Düsseldorf, Doha, Washington DC, Mumbai, Brisbane and Moscow.
Etihad Airways will debut
its exciting new First, Business and Economy Class products onboard the
forthcoming aircraft, and will also introduce The Residence by Etihad™, a
ground-breaking concept exclusive to its Airbus A380, which features the only
three-room cabin in the sky.
James Hogan, President
and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “Our initial Airbus A380
and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights have been on sale for almost four months
and demand has exceeded our expectations, showing that the public share our passion
for comfort, service, hospitality and style.
“The Airbus A380 and
Boeing 787-9 will play a fundamental role in the development of Etihad Airways’
network. On existing high demand routes such as London and Sydney, the A380 will
provide additional seats and meet demand for increased capacity, especially in
First and Business Class. The Boeing 787-9 will be used to launch flights to
new destinations, add capacity in existing markets and progressively replace
existing, less-efficient aircraft.”
Etihad Airways has a
total of 10 Airbus A380s on firm order, the first of which will be delivered later
this year. The aircraft
will initially operate on services between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow,
starting with flights EY11 and EY12 from 27 December 2014, EY17 and EY18 from 1
March 2015, and EY19 and EY20 from 1 May 2015. As a result, Etihad Airways’
London Heathrow route will be served exclusively by Airbus A380 aircraft from
next year.
Tickets
can also be purchased on Etihad Airways’ Airbus A380 service between Abu Dhabi
and Sydney, with the aircraft operating on selected flights from 1 June 2015.
Each
Airbus A380 is designed to carry 496 passengers in four living spaces,
including two VIP guests in The Residence
by Etihad™, nine guests in the innovative First Class Apartments, 70 guests in
the new Business Class Studios, and 415 guests in Economy Class.
Etihad
Airways has 71 Boeing 787s on order, including 41 B787-9s and 30 B787-10s,
making it the world’s largest operator of the aircraft type. Deliveries commence
this year and the aircraft will operate on the Düsseldorf and Doha routes from
December 2014, followed by Washington DC and Mumbai from 1 January 2015, and
Brisbane and Moscow from 1 June 2015.
Mr Hogan
said: “With additional routes for our Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 now on sale,
passengers have a unique opportunity to experience the most advanced cabins in
aviation history. This applies on services between our Abu Dhabi hub and the
selected routes, and seamlessly on connecting services where Abu Dhabi is a
stopover. For instance, once the A380 is operating between Abu Dhabi and London
Heathrow, and Abu Dhabi and Sydney, our passengers can fly on the aircraft
between London and Sydney from June 2015.”
In
preparation for their entry into service, Etihad Airways commenced a training
program for the Airbus A380 in January 2014 and the Boeing 787-9 in February
2014. A total of 149 pilots are undergoing a combination of simulator and
classroom training, in addition to flying the aircraft with other airlines that
already operate the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The
training program will be enhanced following the recent arrival of an Airbus
A380 Full Flight Simulator and Airbus Pilot Transition Trainer at Etihad
Training Academy in Abu Dhabi. The equipment, supplied by Canadian manufacturer
CAE, is now being commissioned by Etihad Airways and CAE, and is expected to become
operational in mid-September.
CAE
will deliver Etihad Airways’ first Boeing 787 Simulator and Integrated
Procedure Trainer next month, followed by an additional trainer and two simulators
between 2017 and 2019.
A series of test flights will also be conducted with
Etihad Airways’ first Airbus A380 and Boeing 787-9 prior to their entry into
service. The aircraft will be flown around Gulf airspace, with cabin crew also
onboard to familiarise
themselves with the layout and conduct test meal services.