Etihad Unveils Routes For New Boeing 787s

I recently wrote about how Etihad Airways is in the process of taking delivery of new Boeing 787-9s, which feature fresh interiors. The airline has now updated its schedule to reflect the first routes that are expected to get these new aircraft.

Basics of Etihad’s new Boeing 787-9s

Etihad has been nicely improving its product in recent years, and as the latest example of that, the airline is introducing a new passenger experience on newly delivered Boeing 787-9s. In the coming weeks, the airline should be putting three of these aircraft into service.

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What makes them special?

• These planes will have the Collins Aerospace Elements seat in business class, which is a reverse herringbone seat with a door; this seat debuted on Starlux’s A350-900s
• These planes feature Viasat Wi-Fi, so you can expect faster internet than ever before on Etihad
• These planes feature greatly improved tech, including things like bluetooth audio, and much more

While Etihad’s Airbus A350-1000s offer a phenomenal passenger experience, these Boeing 787-9s should be even better.

Routes for Etihad’s new Boeing 787-9s

While I haven’t seen an official announcement, Etihad has updated its seat maps to reflect which flights will feature the carrier’s new cabins. Let me emphasize that this remains subject to change, so even if you book a flight showing the correct seat map, it’s still possible there will be a schedule change.

For context, below is what the seat map looks like for the reconfigured 787-9s. As you can tell, the configuration is the same in every row, unlike Etihad’s “classic” 787s, which have a staggered configuration.

With that in mind, the following routes are currently expected to get the new cabins on select frequencies:

• Starting March 2, 2024, Etihad has scheduled its new 787-9s to fly between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Mumbai (BOM) on the EY205/206 frequencies on select days
• Starting March 4, 2024, Etihad has scheduled its new 787-9s to fly between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Munich (MUC) on the EY5/6 frequencies on select days
• Starting March 11, 2024, Etihad has scheduled its new 787-9s to fly between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and New York (JFK) on the EY100/101 frequencies on select days; this service stops on April 21, and is replaced with the Washington flight
• Starting April 22, 2024, Etihad has scheduled its new 787-9s to fly between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Washington (IAD) on the EY130/131 frequencies on select days

It’s awesome to see that Etihad has plans to offer its new product on a route to the United States. The date for that service switchover is no coincidence, as April 22 will be a big day for the carrier’s service to North America:

• As of April 22, Etihad will start flying the A380 on one of the two daily frequencies to New York
• As of April 22, Etihad will start flying the 787-9 with first class on one of the two daily frequencies to New York, replacing a 787-9 without first class; this aircraft is being removed from the Washington route
• As of April 22, Etihad will replace the 787-9 with first class on the Washington route with the 787-9 with the new cabins

So while first class was initially a loss for flyers in Washington, everyone not in first class can look forward to a superior experience, which is great.

Bottom line

Etihad will shortly be flying newly delivered Boeing 787-9s, featuring new interiors. These aircraft will be entering service in the coming weeks, initially flying to Mumbai, Munich, New York, and Washington. If you’re thinking of booking a trip on Etihad, definitely consider booking one of these flights, though be aware of the possibility of an aircraft swap.

What do you make of Etihad’s initial routes for the new Boeing 787-9s?