Which Etihad Airways Planes Have The Largest Business Class Cabins?

Which Etihad Airways Planes Have The Largest Business Class Cabins?

With a fleet full of sleek, golden aircraft, Etihad Airways is known worldwide for being one of the most opulent carriers in the sky. With this in mind, it comes as no great surprise that the UAE flag carrier’s twin-aisle jets have some pretty big business class cabins onboard. Let’s look and see which are the largest.

Airbus A380

In a quite unsurprising turn of events, data from ch-aviation.com shows that Etihad’s largest aircraft type, the Airbus A380, does indeed have its largest business class cabin. These double-decker quadjets have a grand total of 70 business class seats onboard, accounting for just under 15% of the A380’s 489-seat capacity.

In terms of how these seats are laid out, seating data from aeroLOPA shows that they occupy the middle and rear sections of the upper deck (with the front being used for first class). They are primarily configured in a four-abreast setup with a 1-2-1 configuration, although rows 8, 24, and 26 have just two seats present.

Airbus A350-1000

Etihad’s next-largest business class cabin can also be found on an Airbus jet, namely its A350-1000s. These next-generation widebodies have 44 business class seats onboard and are just about Etihad’s youngest aircraft type by average age, with a mean figure of just 4.1 years old. The fleet-wide average is 8.9 years.

As pictured above, this cabin also features a four-abreast 1-2-1 configuration, with window seats facing outward and the center pairs facing inward. Business class on Etihad Airways’ Airbus A350-100s occupies the entire front section of the aircraft between its first and second doors, and you can read our review of the cabin here.

Boeing 777-300ER

Not far behind in terms of its business class cabin, we have our first Boeing aircraft. The 777-300ERs that Etihad Airways flies feature three different configurations, but two have 40-seat business class cabins. The other is a less premium-heavy affair, with just 28 business class seats and 384 in economy.

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In both instances, these 40 seats are situated between the front and back of the aircraft’s second door. However, on first-class-equipped examples, the majority are behind the second door, while two-class 777-300ERs have most of their 40 business class seats in front of it. Once again, these cabins have a 1-2-1 layout.

Boeing 787-10

Rounding out the list with the only other premium cabin with space for more than 30 passengers, Etihad Airways’ stretched-fuselage Boeing 787-10 ‘Dreamliners’ have 32 business class seats onboard. These occupy the aircraft’s entire front section and feature the same alternating front-back setup as the A380.

As pictured above, this cabin also has a 1-2-1 layout. Etihad’s nine Boeing 787-10s are its second-youngest aircraft type by average age, with a mean figure of just 4.2 years old. In the future, the Abu Dhabi-based UAE flag carrier also has outstanding orders for another 21 examples of the stretched-fuselage Dreamliner.

What do you make of Etihad’s various widebody business class cabins? Have you ever traveled in any yourself? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Sources: aeroLOPA, ch-aviation.com

• Etihad Airways

  IATA/ICAO Code: EY/ETD Airline Type: Full Service Carrier Hub(s): Abu Dhabi International Airport Year Founded: 2003 CEO: Tony Douglas Country: United Arab Emirates