The UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways today said it will start deploying the superjumbo Airbus A380 on the Abu Dhabi-Mumbai route from May 1 next year and operate on the official code of its domestic partner Jet Airways in which it owns 24 per cent equity.
Etihad will operate its A380 to India for the first time with direct scheduled flights between Abu Dhabi and Mumbai from May 1, 2016.
"The new route will connect with the carrier's A380 New York service," the airline said in a statement.
Etihad will become the fourth international carrier after Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa to and from New Delhi and Emirates, Singapore from Mumbai to operate the superjumbo A380 in the India sector.
For the airline, Mumbai will be the fifth destination to deploy superjumbo after Sydney, and the recently-announced Melbourne which is to start from next June.
The A380 will have four types of cabin configuration -- The Residence by Etihad offering 3 suits, 9 First Apartments, 70 Business Studios, and 415 economy seats -- taking the total capacity to 496 seats. The A380 service will offer 50 per cent more seats than the Boeing B777-300 ER it replaces.
These A380 will operate daily (EY204 from Abu Dhabi, and EY203 from Mumbai) carrying the 9W code of Jet Airways.
The Residence by Etihad features a living room, separate en-suite shower room, double bedroom, and a dedicated Savoy-trained butler. It also features a large 32" LCD monitor in the living room and a separate 24" version in bedroom. Each suite, measuring 125 sq ft, is located on the forward upper deck and is available for single or double occupancy.
Announcing the introduction the aircraft, Etihad president chief executive James Hogan said, "Bringing our flagship product to Mumbai is further proof of our confidence in the Indian market and our commitment to its economy."
In 2014, Etihad ferried nearly 1 million passengers to and from India, representing almost 70 per cent of total passengers who flew in and out of the country with the Abu Dhabi-based airline.
Currently, Etihad flies three daily services to Mumbai, while Jet does twice daily, taking the two operators' weekly offering to over 2,000 connections in 57 markets across the Gulf region, Africa, Europe and North America.
