ABU DHABI - Etihad Airways has announced that it is reintroducing four of its A380s in the summer of 2023, following a surge in demand for air travel across the airline’s network and customer feedback.

Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of Etihad Aviation Group, said, “It is wonderful to announce the return of this splendid aircraft. The A380’s reintroduction further boosts Etihad’s capacity into the key United Kingdom market, with a knock-on effect for the wider Gulf Cooperation Council and the Indian subcontinent that will bring more visitors to the city of Abu Dhabi.”

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said, “We know this will be welcomed by our guests who love Etihad’s incredible A380 and its award-winning cabins. We have decided the time is right to return some of our A380s to the fleet to satisfy the demand, which has made them financially viable once more. We look forward to welcoming our guests on board this remarkable aircraft again.”

Etihad’s A380s feature The Residence and three cabin classes on the double-decker aircraft, including nine First Apartments, 70 Business Studios and 405 Economy Smart Seats. This includes 80 Economy Space seats with a seat pitch of up to 36 inches.

The nine First Apartments, set across a single aisle, offer a private living space with a large leather lounge chair and an ottoman which opens up to become a separate 80.5” long fully-flat bed. The First Apartment is one of the most spacious in its class. It also offers a 24" swivelling LCD TV monitor and personal vanity unit. For the first time, Etihad plans to eventually offer The Residence as an optional extra for guests to further enhance their First experience.

The Lobby, available to guests in First and Business class, is a serviced lounge and bar area between the two cabins, featuring leather sofas, refreshments and a large TV with a USB connection.

Etihad expects to return four of its A380s to the fleet in the summer of 2023, with plans to operate to London’s Heathrow Airport, freeing up capacity for increased frequencies on existing routes and launching new destinations.

Etihad will add five of the smaller A320 siblings to support the A380s.

Etihad is currently preparing the aircraft to fly again, and part of this preparation includes the recruitment and training of A380 teams, including pilots, cabin crew and technical ground staff.