Etihad Airways has unveiled super-luxury classes called Residence and Apartment.

Etihad described Residence as a three-room suite. These will be introduced in the new wide-bodied aircraft — the Airbus 380. In contrast to many European airlines, Etihad sees an average load factor of 50 per cent for its first-class seats, which increases to 100 per cent during peak periods, Etihad’s President and CEO James Hogan said. He said that a Residence ticket from London to Abu Dhabi would cost around $20,000. 

The company said Apartment would be a large first-class cabin, 74 per cent bigger than Etihad’s existing first-class cabins. This, too, would be seen on the airline’s new A380s as well as the Boeing 787s. 

India’s importance Speaking about the delays in getting clearance for the ₹2,060-crore deal to buy a 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways, Hogan said: “This is the first FDI in India (in aviation) and, of course, it will go through a process and we accept that.”

“India has 40 million people travelling international every year, growing at 10 per cent,” he said, explaining the importance of India’s aviation market. The Gulf carrier plans to expand its network in the country from 10 cities now to 26 within four months, said Hogan. However, the 10-year-old airline, which has gone on an acquisition spree across the globe, denied any interest in buying stakes in any other Indian carrier in the near future.

The company, which has placed orders for 10 Airbus 380s, will introduce the wide-bodied aircraft in India soon, he said. However, India is likely to see the company’s new Boeing 787 aircraft earlier.

Etihad has ordered 71 Boeing 787s.

(The writer is in Dubai at the invitation of Etihad )

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