Etihad Airways has celebrated the arrival of its new Airbus A350-1000 in the United States following the inaugural commercial flight from Abu Dhabi to New York on June 30.
The aircraft, which accommodates 371 passengers, is one of five new Airbus A350s to join Etihad’s fleet this year and is part of the Sustainable 50 programme, formed as a partnership between Etihad, Airbus and Rolls Royce in 2021.
The A350s will be used as flying testbeds for new initiatives, procedures and technologies to reduce carbon emissions and will build on the knowledge gained from Etihad's similar Greenliner programme for the Boeing 787.
Speaking to ARN News, Terry Daly, Executive Director Guest Experience, Brand and Marketing at Etihad. explains why the A350 is a good fit for their New York and Chicago routes.
From July 1, all Etihad flights servicing New York and Chicago O’Hare International Airport will be operated by the A350, joining the Mumbai and Delhi routes that began flying in April this year.
Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales and Cargo, Etihad Airways, said, "We are proud to bring the Airbus A350 into service in the US. This is an incredible aircraft with highly efficient fuel consumption and CO2 savings, which enables us to support our goals to reduce carbon emissions and deliver an unmatched flight experience for our guests.
"By introducing the A350, we have almost doubled premium capacity on our New York and Chicago routes to 44 seats in the Business cabin, which provides a luxurious experience comparable to First Class on other international airlines."
Etihad passengers travelling to the US have access to Etihad’s US pre-clearance, the only United States Customs and Border Protection facility in the Middle East. This allows passengers bound for the United States to process all immigration, customs and agriculture inspections in Abu Dhabi before they board their flight, avoiding immigration and queues on arrival in the US.
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