Leaving Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 in the widebody fleet
Etihad Airways will soon be operating and more simplified fleet. During the recent World Aviation Festival, CEO Tony Douglas said that Etihad will slowly phase out its Boeing 777-300ER fleet. Etihad has 19 Boeing 777-300ER jets in its fleet. They have been converted into ‘Preighters’ to address the growing demand in cargo services.
In a report from Reuters, the airline CEO said, “You will see of us a very focused, a very disciplined operating model which is heavily built around the fleet of the (Boeing) 787 Dreamliner and (Airbus) A350-1000.”
Current Etihad widebody fleet
Etihad operates both narrowbody and widebody aircraft in its fleet. They currently operate a total of 70 widebody jets alone. This consists of 5 Airbus A380s (5 others are stored/scrapped), 19 Boeing 777-300ER, 40 Boeing 787, and 1 Airbus A330-200. Etihad has also taken in 5 of 20 Airbus A350-1000 jets.
Etihad has a total order of 71 Boeing 787 which include 41 787-9 and 30 787-10.
Smaller and leaner fleet
Etihad’s goal is to return to profitability by 2023 and one of its strategies is to simplify its fleet. Etihad has already grounded its 10 Airbus A380s indefinitely. The fate of their superjumbos are still unknown.
The pandemic has indeed forced Etihad to further accelerate its transformation into becoming a leaner and more profitable airline by 2023. In terms of its fleet plans, yes we do see a more simplified one. However, nothing yet has been announced with regards to its current cabin configuration. Etihad is known for its award winning cabin services. Their “The Residence” first class cabin services aboard its A380 is definitely like a flying hotel room. However with all the changes due to happen, we still wonder if Etihad will continue on with its ultra-luxurious cabins. The A350-1000 nor a B787 cabin may not be able to fit a “Residence-like” first class configuration.
Do you think this simpler fleet plan is a sound decision? Share us your thoughts.
