Etihad to deploy Airbus A380 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from December

Etihad will use the A380 for its three times a day flight to London, while Sydney will be the second city to be served by the A380.

Etihad Airways chief executive during the unveiling of the interiors of the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 on May 4, 2014 in Abu Dhabi. Karim Sahib / AFP

Etihad Airways will start operating its Airbus A380 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from December this year, confirming an earlier announcement.

Etihad will deploy the A380 aircraft for its three times a day flight to London, while Sydney will be the second city to be served by the A380. Meanwhile, the Boeing 787-9 aircraft will fly to six routes, including Düsseldorf, Doha, Washington DC, Mumbai, Brisbane and Moscow.

The carrier raised the stakes of luxury travel earlier this year by introducing a flying hotel suite complete with a Savoy-trained butler. The premium travel experience is being offered on its Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft as rival Gulf carriers compete to win high-spending business and first class passengers.

“Our initial Airbus A380 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights have been on sale for almost four months and demand has exceeded our expectations,” said the chief executive, James Hogan,

“On existing high demand routes such as London and Sydney, the A380 will provide additional seats and meet demand for increased capacity, especially in first and business class. The Boeing 787-9 will be used to launch flights to new destinations, add capacity in existing markets and progressively replace existing, less-efficient aircraft,” Mr Hogan added.