Etihad Airways unveiled the latest iteration of its Business Class product today, presenting the new suites that will go on newly built Boeing 787s later this year first and become available as a retrofit later. The airline also showed a new Economy Class seat for the Dreamliner. Etihad to introduce new Business suites on the 787.
The carrier unveiled the new products at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, where Etihad, Emirates, and other airlines and travel businesses shared their updates.
The Business Class suites that will go on the 787s are the second evolution of the Business Studios that were introduced last year on the airline’s Airbus A350-1000s. Produced by Collins Aerospace, the suites are a member of the Elements family but have been customized for Etihad. Positioned in a 1-2-1 configuration, they come with higher side walls compared to the suites on the A350 to offer customers even more privacy. Each seat can be transformed into a 78 inches/1.98-meter flatbed. A 17.3-inch touchscreen is standard. The airline has also reviewed its services, with Armani/Casa offering new dining ware and soft furnishings.
Etihad will offer 32 Business suites on its 787s, the same as on the current 787-10 and four more than on the 787-9 but eight fewer than on the A350-1000. The airline from Abu Dhabi already operates 39 Dreamliners, including thirty 787-9s and nine -10s. Another eleven -9s and 21 -10s are in Boeing’s unfilled orders lists. The first aircraft with the upgraded cabin will be delivered in Q3 this year.
In Economy Class, the new seats will be lighter and should be more comfortable than the current generation. There will be 271 seats, the same number as on the 787-9 without First Class at the front of the cabin, and four more seats than on the 787-10. Seats come standard with a 13.3 inches touch screen. The Etihad E-Box inflight entertainment system is the latest spec from Safran, while a Viasat Ka-band system is on board for high-speed internet with free packages for chat and data for Etihad Guest members.
