Etihad Airways brought back its big Airbus A380 plane to the US after the pandemic nearly made it stop flying.
On April 22, the huge plane left Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport at about 3:20 a.m. local time. It landed at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport over 14 hours later, around 10 a.m. ET. This is the first time in four years that Etihad’s quadjet fleet has flown this route. It’s a big deal because it’s getting back into the US market after a break. The A380 also flies between Abu Dhabi and London.
Etihad says the A380 will increase the number of people flying between these cities because it will take over one of the two flights currently going between New York and JFK. The second flight uses a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Etihad’s Chief Revenue Officer, Arik De, said in December that their flights to North America were doing really well. They added a second daily flight to JFK last year.
The A380’s special feature is The Residence, a super fancy first-class suite that costs a lot. It’s like a small apartment for two people on the plane’s second level. Other airlines, like Singapore Airlines, have nice first-class cabins too, but Etihad’s is extra luxurious.
In December, a flight from New York to Abu Dhabi in Etihad’s first-class apartments cost around $9,000 to $10,000 each way. Adding the residence cost another $3,000 each way, totaling about $24,000 for a round trip.
Many people were excited about The Residence coming back to New York. It quickly filled up for May flights after the announcement. The living room in The Residence has a sliding door for privacy. It’s made for two people. A special cabin crew takes care of the residence passengers. They set the table, serve food, and get the space ready for sleeping. Etihad won’t have a butler for The Residence anymore, according to an aviation journalist.
The A380 is a special plane, but it’s costly to fly because it uses a lot of fuel. Some airlines prefer newer planes that are more fuel-efficient.
Etihad is happy to bring back the A380 because customers like it. They plan to use it where it makes sense for their flights.
