Etihad Airways debuts its first Airbus A380 in Hamburg

President James Hogan said the Abu Dhabi carrier was "proud to show the world what the aircraft looks like on the outside".

Airbus chief executive Fabrice Bregier and Etihad Airways chief executive James Hogan at the celebration of the first rollout of the first Airbus A380 aircraft of Etihad on Thursday, September 25 in HShow more

Etihad Airways on Thursday unveiled a new livery design that will be introduced across its fleet as it officially rolled out its first Airbus A380 aircraft in Hamburg, Germany.

The world’s biggest passenger aircraft, which will feature Etihad’s US$20,000-a-ticket flying hotel suite complete with a Savoy-trained butler, is expected to lift the carrier’s premium travel offering ahead of its rivals.

The service is being initially offered on London flights starting from this December – eventually flying three times a day. Etihad will also deploy the A380 on its Sydney and New York routes from next year.

The airline will take delivery of seven wide-bodied aircraft next year – four A380s and three Boeing 787-9s – and seven narrow-bodied aircraft – one A320 and six A321s.

Ten super-jumbos are on order from Airbus, Etihad said.

“Only a few months ago Etihad Airways unveiled the new cabin interiors for our A380 aircraft and we are now proud to show the world how this aircraft will look on the outside,” said James Hogan, the airline’s president and chief executive.

For Arabian Gulf carriers the A380 has been a game-changer. Emirates, the world’s biggest operator of the aircraft, has 50 A380s in its fleet. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways received its first A380 last week. It will start flying its super-jumbo next month from its Doha base to London Heathrow. The carrier has ordered 10 A380s and has options for three more.

One challenge of operating the A380 is that not all airports are equipped to receive it, as the double-decker plane needs a special gate.

In May, Etihad unveiled “The Residence by Etihad” for the upper deck of the aircraft. Accommodating single or double occupancy, it includes a living room, a separate double bedroom and an en suite shower room. Guests in The Residence will also have a personal butler trained by the Savoy Butler Academy in London.

Ticket prices start at about $20,000 for either one or two people. In addition, the upper deck will have a number of fully private suites, branded First Apartments, with a separate reclining lounge seat and full-length bed, as well as a chilled minibar, personal vanity unit and wardrobe.

Premium travel growth was 3 per cent in July, according to Iata, with a slowdown limited to Asia and markets connected to Latin America. Longer-haul markets including the Middle East have performed strongly, it said.

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