Hey, this is exciting! Etihad Airways has announced that it will continue to expand its Airbus A380 network, as the super jumbo will fly to yet another airport. Most interesting of all, this is a destination to which Etihad has never before flown the A380.
Etihad A380 will fly from Abu Dhabi to Singapore
At the start of the pandemic, Etihad Airways grounded its Airbus A380 fleet, with plans to likely retire the aircraft permanently. Fortunately the airline had a change of heart, and as of the summer of 2023, the Abu Dhabi-based airline brought back the super jumbo.
Etihad had announced that its plan was to fly the A380 exclusively between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and London (LHR), with no firm plans to fly the jet to any other destination, as the airline intended to bring back just four A380s. That plan evolved, and as of April 2024, the A380 also resumed flights to New York (JFK), and then as of November 2024, the A380 will also return to Paris (CDG). Etihad is also temporarily flying the A380 to Jeddah (JED), but that’s only for a couple of dozen flights.
Now it has been announced that Etihad will start flying the Airbus A380 to Singapore (SIN). Specifically, as of February 1, 2025, Etihad’s A380 will fly daily between Abu Dhabi and Singapore, with the following schedule:
EY496 Abu Dhabi to Singapore departing 10:05PM arriving 9:35AM (+1 day)
EY497 Singapore to Abu Dhabi departing 7:25PM arriving 11:20PM
The 3,673-mile flight is blocked at 7hr30min eastbound and 7hr55min westbound. As you can see, the aircraft utilization here is pretty awful, given that the plane is on the ground in Singapore for nearly 10 hours, and this roundtrip requires more than one frame.
This new route is possible thanks to Etihad now planning on reactivating a sixth Airbus A380 (the fifth frame is being reactivated for the Paris route). Previously the airline only officially announced plans to activate five of these, so it’s nice to see more of these jets returning to the skies.
This Singapore flight was previously scheduled to be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, so that represents quite a passenger experience and capacity upgrade, as the 777 offers Etihad’s worst long haul passenger experience.
With Etihad’s updated A380 schedule, the airline has plans to fly the A380 2x daily to London, 1x daily to New York, 1x daily to Paris, and 1x daily to Singapore.
Here’s how Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves describes this development:
“We are thrilled to announce that our iconic A380 aircraft will begin serving the Singapore route early next year. This aircraft provides our business and leisure travellers with an exceptional flying experience and seamless connections to our Middle East, European, and North American networks. It highlights Etihad’s dedication to optimising travel to Abu Dhabi and beyond, ensuring more convenience and comfort for our guests.”
“We will have our sixth A380 online next year as we build our capacity further to cater for the travel needs of our guests.”
What the Etihad A380 means for passengers
Etihad’s Airbus A380s are some pretty special jets, and they’ve offered quite a halo effect for the airline. Etihad’s A380s are configured with a total of 485 seats.
When the A380 flies to Singapore, you can expect that Etihad will introduce The Residence on this route, which is a private three room suite located at the front of the first class cabin. This is the most exclusive product available in commercial aviation.
Pre-pandemic, this experience cost tens of thousands of dollars. However, Etihad is now handling this differently than back then. The airline is now selling upgrades to this for first class passengers who are ticketed through Etihad. The cost to upgrade to The Residence is typically a few thousand dollars.
We’re also seeing the introduction of the Etihad First Class Apartments on the Singapore route, as there are nine of those on the plane. This is one of the most impressive first class hard products out there, as there’s just a single aisle in the center of the cabin, and one suite on each side. This is a much better first class product than you’ll find on Etihad’s 787s. Etihad also has a stellar soft product nowadays, making for a great experience.
There are then 70 business class seats, which are the Etihad Business Studios, the same product you’ll find on the 787. This is a solid business class product, but not as good as Etihad’s new A350 business class, or the carrier’s new 787-9 business class.
Lastly, there are 405 economy class seats, including 80 with extra legroom. This takes up the entire lower deck, as seats are in a 3-4-3 configuration.
Bottom line
As of February 1, 2025, Etihad will start flying the Airbus A380 between Abu Dhabi and Singapore. This will represent Etihad’s fourth consistent A380 destination out of Abu Dhabi, complementing existing flights to London, New York, and Paris. This new route is possible thanks to Etihad reactivating a sixth Airbus A380.
In early 2023, we thought the A380 would never fly again for Etihad. Then when it finally did return, we were told it would just fly to London. It’s nice to see this beautiful jet having now returned to New York, soon to Paris, and then to Singapore.
What do you make of Etihad launching A380 flights to Singapore?
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