Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International) remains committed to the further operation of its A380-800 quadjets and does not want to cancel its forthcoming A350-1000s, a spokesperson told the Executive Traveller.
Reuters had earlier reported, citing unnamed sources, that the carrier was contemplating permanently grounding all ten A380-800s. The airline said that the type remained "an important part of the Etihad fleet and [was] well suited to a number of key routes".
According to the ch-aviation schedules module, Etihad deploys its A380s from Abu Dhabi International to London Heathrow, New York JFK, Paris CDG, Seoul Incheon, and Sydney Kingsford Smith. The ten aircraft have been in storage since March 25.
Etihad's local rival Emirates (EK, Dubai International) recently underlined that it also intends to resume full utilisation of its A380-800s as of 2022.
The Emirati flag carrier has also pledged to take deliveries of its A350-1000s. The airline has 20 of the type on firm order from Airbus, of which four have already been formally delivered, although they remain at Bordeaux Mérignac airport with French registrations.
"Etihad is also committed to the delivery of its future fleet of Airbus A350-1000s and has selected the routes to be operated by this aircraft," the spokesperson said.
The airline has yet to file schedules for the A350s. As such, the selection of routes has yet to be made public.
