Etihad Airways' Airbus A380, featuring The Residence by Etihad, to take flight between New York and Abu Dhabi

NEW YORK, March 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - Etihad Airways announced today the airline's new Airbus A380 service takes flight beginning December 1, 2015 for guests traveling between New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport and the airline's Abu Dhabi home. The A380 features The Residence by Etihad™, the airline's ultra-luxurious and private three-room suite in the sky, a first in commercial aviation.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways' President and Chief Executive Officer, said: "The United States is a strategically important part of Etihad Airways' growing global network and as a result of increased demand from our guests traveling between New York and Abu Dhabi -- and onto the world, we are pleased to upgrade one of our two daily flights to an A380.

At Etihad Airways, we are committed to offering unmatched luxury, comfort and convenience for our guests traveling with us across every class of service. New York marks the first U.S. destination where we will introduce our industry-leading A380 aircraft products and experience."

Etihad Airways will continue to offer double daily service between New York's JFK Airport and Abu Dhabi. The addition of the A380 will allow Etihad Airways to match capacity with increased demand. In 2014 alone, Etihad Airways' Business and Economy Class load factors exceeded 80% on the popular route.

The two daily flights offer guests traveling from New York access to 709 weekly connections to 34 markets across the Gulf, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Africa and South East Asia. With equity partner Jet Airways, Etihad Airways serves 15 unique destinations in India from Abu Dhabi.

The Residence by Etihad has captured the imagination of the air travel industry since it was unveiled in May 2014. Measuring 125 square feet in area, The Residence by Etihad features a private living room, separate en-suite shower room, bedroom with a double bed, and a dedicated Savoy Academy trained Butler to look after the needs of its discerning guests. The revolutionary cabin features a large 32" LCD monitor in the living room and a 24" version in the bedroom. Located on the forward upper deck of the A380, The Residence by Etihad is available for single or double occupancy.

The A380 is also the only aircraft in the Etihad Airways fleet to feature nine First Apartments in the industry's first ever single aisle cabin on a wide body aircraft. Each apartment offers a private living space with a large Poltrona Frau leather lounge chair and an ottoman -- the latter which opens up to become a separate 80.5" long fully flat bed. Each First Apartment also offers a 74 per cent increase in space over the airline's current award-winning First Class suites, a 24" swiveling LCD TV monitor and personal vanity unit.  A fully equipped shower room is available for exclusive use by First Class guests.

70 Business Studios, set in a 1-2-1 configuration, are located on the upper deck of the A380, providing guests with a 20 per cent increase in personal space, direct aisle access and a fully flat bed of up to 80.5" in length. Upholstered in Poltrona Frau leather, each Business Studio is equipped with in-seat massage and a pneumatic cushion control system. This unique feature is also installed in The Residence by Etihad and the First Apartment seating.

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

415 Economy Smart Seats are located on the main deck and feature enhanced comfort with unique, ergonomic 'fixed wing' headrests, lumbar support and a larger 11.1" personal TV monitor.

The airline has introduced the latest Panasonic eX3 entertainment system with a new, modern interface onboard the A380, providing more than 750 hours of on-demand entertainment, improved gaming, and high definition touchscreens across all cabins. The system also has video touchscreen handsets in all cabins, offering an additional screen so guests can play games or view the moving map while watching their chosen program. Noise cancelling headsets are provided across all cabins with built-in magnetic audio jacks for superior sound quality. The A380 is equipped with full mobile and Wi-Fi service, and USB and power points at every seat in every cabin, as well as seven channels of Live TV.

Guests can begin booking flights for travel on the A380 between New York's JFK Airport and Abu Dhabi now at http://www.etihad.com/.

Etihad Airways' first A380 entered into service on December 27, 2014 and offers a distinctive experience for guests traveling between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow Airport, and will commence additional A380 service to Sydney on June 1, 2015. The airline will take delivery of four A380s in 2015.

Guests flying on all Etihad Airways flights from Abu Dhabi to the airline's six U.S. ports of entry, including New York's JFK Airport, are processed through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance facility available at Abu Dhabi International Airport, which means they pass through all U.S. immigration and customs checks in Abu Dhabi and arrive at their U.S. destination as domestic passengers. Other U.S. destinations served by Etihad Airways include Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington's D.C.'s Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Beginning December 1, 2015, Etihad Airways double daily service schedule between Abu Dhabi and New York-JFK will operate as follows:

Note: All departures and arrivals are listed in local time.

For high resolution videos of Etihad Airways A380 aircraft please click on: http://blog.etihad.com/en/dec-18-reveal/. For images of Etihad Airways' new A380 aircraft and cabins, please visit: www.etihadmediacentre.com 

About Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways began operations in 2003, and in 2014 carried 14.8 million passengers. From its Abu Dhabi base, Etihad Airways flies to 111 existing or announced passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. The airline has a fleet of 110 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and more than 200 aircraft on firm order, including 70 Boeing 787s, 25 Boeing 777-X, 62 Airbus A350s and nine Airbus A380s.

Etihad Airways holds equity investments in airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Aer Lingus, Alitalia, Jet Airways and Virgin Australia, and is in the process of formalising an equity investment in Swiss-based Etihad Regional, operated by Darwin Airline. Etihad Airways, along with airberlin, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia, Etihad Regional, Jet Airways and NIKI, also participate in Etihad Airways Partners, a new brand that brings together like-minded airlines to offer customers more choice through improved networks and schedules and enhanced frequent flyer benefits.  For more information, please visit: www.etihad.com

SOURCE Etihad Airways