End of an era: Etihad is ditching its largest and swankiest jets, the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777, so will Emirates and Qatar Airways be next?

Apr 27 , 2021

Etihad has already taken its fleet of Airbus A380 planes out of service and now plans to do the same with its Boeing 777s. Photo: Etihad Airways

Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350-1000 models have better fuel efficiency, lower cabin altitudes, mood lighting and increased cabin humidity

The loss of the A380 also means the end of Etihad’s ultra-luxury The Residence, a three-room suite with butler, champagne and caviar costing around US$20,000

Etihad Airways is planning to stop flying its second-largest aircraft before the end of this year in yet another pandemic-inspired aircraft retirement for the airline.

The Boeing 777-300ER fleet of aircraft is next on the chopping block for Etihad as the airline seeks a return to profitability in 2023, CEO Tony Douglas said at the World Aviation Festival, according to Reuters. The focus instead will be on Etihad’s newer aircraft like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350-1000 XWB.

Etihad’s Airbus A380s are already in storage and are unlikely to fly in the airline’s colours again. Photo: Etihad Airways

“You will see of us a very focused, a very disciplined operating model which is heavily built around the fleet of the 787 Dreamliner and A350-1000,” Reuters reported Douglas as saying.

Etihad currently has 39 of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft in its fleet, according to Planespotters.net, including the 787-9 and 787-10 variants. Both offer intercontinental ranges that are comparable to the 777-300ER, although the Dreamliner fleet offers at least 60 fewer seats than the 777-300ER fleet when in a two-class configuration.

Boeing’s Dreamliners have been in Etihad’s fleet since 2014 and have been the airline’s long-haul workhorses during the pandemic. Some of Etihad’s furthest destinations like New York, Chicago, Tokyo and Seoul have been receiving the aircraft in recent months, with them substituting seamlessly for the A380 and 777 fleets.

An Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner lands at Munich International Airport. Photo: Reuters

Five Airbus A350-1000 XWBs have already been delivered to Etihad but no aircraft are currently flying despite some being delivered before the pandemic. The largest A350 variant, the Dash 1000 model can seat a similar number of passengers as the 777-300ER.