Coming in the wake of the news in July that Etihad Airways had introduced the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner onto its Abu Dhabi-Morocco connection, the UAE carrier has now announced that it will be bringing the aircraft to its flight from the Emirate capital to Kuala Lumpur, just in time for the holiday rush, on 20 December, 2018.

In addition to the Malaysian service, Etihad is also lining the 787-9 for its Abu Dhabi-Brussels route, as of 3 Jan 2019, the sixth European destination operated by the 787-9. The 787-9 replaces the Airbus A330-200 currently used on both services.

Etihad Airways’ three-class Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners  are made up of eight first class ‘Suites’, 28 business ‘Studios’  with 271 seats put aside for economy passengers, and features enhanced entertainment and in-flight connectivity, when compared to the A330-200.

“One of the world’s most technologically advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft”

Robin Kamark, Etihad Aviation Group’s chief commercial officer, said: “Kuala Lumpur and Brussels are two very important destinations on the Etihad network, popular with both business and leisure customers and we are delighted to be introducing the 787-9 Dreamliner on these routes. Our customers can expect the quietest cabins and our latest in-flight products and technology, one of the world’s most technologically advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft.

Flight schedule

Boeing 787 schedule to Brussels, effective 3 January 2019

“Our customers flying between Abu Dhabi and these capitals continue to benefit from convenient departure and arrival times at both ends, and those transiting through Abu Dhabi enjoy seamless connections onto Etihad’s global route network,” Kamark added.

“The Dreamliner is fast becoming our flagship long-haul aircraft”

With the plane growing more and more popular for Etihad – already owning a fleet of 21 with another 53 on order — we can expect to see the 787-9 operating more routes across the globe. Indeed, in a recent interview with Peter Baumgartner, following the introduction of the aircraft on its flight to Geneva, the Etihad senior strategic advisor,said:

“The Dreamliner is fast becoming our flagship long-haul aircraft and as more join the fleet, we will continue to look at upgrading existing routes offering ground-breaking cabin interiors that have set a benchmark for high service levels in the region and across the world.”