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Etihad will bring its A350-1000 fleet to Sydney, transitioning away from 787-9 Dreamliners and 777-300ERs.
The Gulf carrier will introduce A350s in Sydney from 1 October this year, complementing the existing 787-9 services, before switching fully from 787s to A350s starting on 31 January. Melbourne will also see daily 787-9 flights.
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The A350-1000s each include 44 of Etihad’s new Business Suites, upping premium seat capacity by more than 20 per cent, as well as 327 “Economy Smart Seats”.
“We are delighted to bring more premium travel options to Australia with the arrival of our A350 on this important route. When the schedule is fully deployed early next year, we will have grown overall seat availability by ten per cent, and premium seat count by over 20 per cent,” Arik De, Etihad’s chief revenue and commercial officer, said.
“We have increased our flight frequencies to Sydney this year, offering guests greater flexibility and enhanced connectivity across our expanding global network.
“This growth provides more seamless travel options to key destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and also welcomes more visitors to our home in Abu Dhabi, where they can enjoy our exclusive stopover program, featuring one or two-night complimentary stays at a premium hotel.”
Etihad last year announced it would ramp up its Sydney services from daily to 10 per week this July, and has signalled it intends to further increase to double daily services in coming years. This will give Sydney the highest seat capacity in the Middle East in the country.
Airport CEO Scott Charlton said Sydney is looking forward to welcoming Etihad’s A350s.
“This next-generation aircraft is not only more sustainable but also a strong sign of Etihad’s confidence in the Sydney market and I’d like to thank the team at Etihad for their continued support,” Charlton said.
“The introduction of the A350, along with the increase in Etihad’s flight schedule, is fantastic news for passengers on Etihad’s longest route globally, offering them more choice and an improved travel experience.
“This addition strengthens the growing list of international airlines flying the A350 into Sydney and reinforces Sydney Airport’s position as Australia’s premier international gateway.”
BITRE data released by the Department for Transport for September 2024 confirmed Etihad’s strong performance, with 96 per cent of inbound seats full for the month. Its overall inbound load factors were the best of any international airline except South African Airways flights to Johannesburg.
