Etihad Airways increases capacity to India by announcing A380 service to India’s commercial capital. The new service will not only increase passenger traffic between UAE and India but also enhance services with luxury and innovation.
From 1 May 2016, Etihad Airways will operate its award-winning Airbus A380 between Abu Dhabi and Mumbai.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline’s 496-seat A380 features the only three-room suite in commercial aviation – The Residence by Etihad – as well as nine First Apartments, 70 Business Studios, and 415 Economy Smart Seats.
The aircraft will operate daily on flight EY204 from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai, and EY203 from Mumbai to Abu Dhabi, both of which carry the 9W code of Jet Airways.
Etihad Airways’ thrice-daily service to Mumbai, in addition to Jet Airways’ double daily service, offers guests access to more than 2,000 weekly connections in 57 markets across the Gulf region, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America.
With a total capacity of 496 seats, the A380 has 50 per cent more seats than the Boeing B777-300ER it replaces, offering more options for tourism growth into India, USA and Abu Dhabi.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said,”The A380 out of Mumbai will connect seamlessly at our Abu Dhabi hub to the A380 service to New York, offering our New York-bound guests the comfort, convenience and superior inflight service of A380 flights all the way.”
All guests flying to New York are processed through US Preclearance in Abu Dhabi which allows them to pass through all US immigration and customs checks and arrive in the US as domestic passengers.
