Etihad has upgraded its Melbourne – Abu Dhabi service to the Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which means all Etihad flights to and from Australia now have the airline’s ‘latest generation’ cabins.
The newer aircraft also has more capacity across cabins, increasing its seats from 290 to 303. It means Etihad also becomes the only Gulf carrier to offer fully enclosed doored premium cabins on all Australia flights.
The Boeing 787-9 has 32 enclosed Business Class suites with sliding doors, featuring the airline’s customised ‘Collins Elements’ seats (introduced as a world-first on the Boeing 787) with increased height for enhanced privacy.
There’s also the latest in inflight entertainment technology from Safran, including Rave Ultra 4K monitors, Bluetooth headphone pairing, and the option to pair personal phones and tablets to the screen with high-speed Wi-Fi with streaming capabilities, as well as Live TV, including news and sport channels.
There will be daily Boeing 787-9 services from Melbourne, alongside 10 weekly Airbus A350-1000 services from Sydney, including double-daily flights on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
It says the introduction of the newest Boeing 787-9 to Melbourne further “reinforces Etihad’s commitment to delivering a premium travel experience for Australian guests”.
In December, Etihad transitioned to an all A350-1000 operation on its Sydney–Abu Dhabi route, accelerating the schedule by two months in response to what it says was “strong demand”.
Etihad Airways Vice President Global Sales and Distribution Javier Alija stated then that transitioning Sydney to all-A350 “reflects our long-standing commitment to delivering a superior experience for Australian guests.”
“The change sees our Boeing 777-300ER exit Australian skies, with both Sydney and Melbourne being flown with the latest luxury product across all cabins.
“And with demand for premium capacity continuing to rise, our new A350 product positions us to deliver more luxury, privacy, comfort and premium service from one of our most important international markets.”
For more information, visit Etihad.
