Etihad Airways to put into service more Boeing 787s

The 299-seat 787 Dreamliners will be deployed as replacements for existing aircraft. - Supplied photo

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has unveiled plans to fly its Boeing 787s to five more destinations during 2016.
With a phased delivery of five new 787s over a seven-month period, beginning May 2016, the 299-seat 787 Dreamliners will be deployed as replacements for existing aircraft on daily scheduled services to Dusseldorf, Perth, Shanghai, Istanbul and Johannesburg from the airline's Abu Dhabi hub. Etihad Airways currently operates five 787s, serving Brisbane, Washington, Singapore and Zurich from Abu Dhabi. With a further 66 Boeing 787s due to be delivered over the next few years, the Dreamliners will become Etihad Airways' flagship long-haul aircraft.
James Hogan, president and CEO of Etihad Airways, said: "Since introducing our first 787 into commercial service in February, we have enjoyed excellent feedback from guests of our ground-breaking cabin interiors that have set a benchmark for high service levels in the region and across the world. Beginning May next year, Etihad Airways' newly delivered 787 Dreamliners will replace existing aircraft on our Dusseldorf, Perth, Shanghai, Istanbul and Johannesburg routes, among our most popular markets, giving guests an opportunity to fly on our next-generation aircraft." In addition, it was also announced that Etihad Airways will add three new weekly services between Abu Dhabi and Manila from May 1, 2016, offering a total of 17 return flights per week.
"The Abu Dhabi-Manila route is one of our strongest in terms of demand and has been capacity-constrained over the past few years," Hogan said.
Etihad Airways also announced the signing of a long-term agreement with Al Fahim Group to provide exclusive deals on airline tickets to employees working in the group and its subsidiaries. Under the agreement, Al Fahim Group employees and its families will receive unique holiday packages, opportunity to join the airline's award-winning frequent flyer programme .
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com