Etihad Airways has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321LR (extended range) following Today’s ceremony at the Airbus Finkenwerder site, marking a transformational milestone in the airline’s fleet expansion strategy.

The aircraft offers Etihad’s signature widebody experience on short and medium-haul routes, featuring premium cabins typically found only on long-haul flights. Etihad Airways will welcome the first of 30 A321LR aircraft to its fleet.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “Today marks an extraordinary moment for Etihad as we welcome an aircraft that changes everything we thought possible on a single-aisle plane. The A321LR enables us to serve more destinations with the same premium experience our guests expect across all cabins, perfectly embodying our commitment to delivering luxury at every altitude.”

Redefining Narrowbody Travel
The A321LR features a three-cabin configuration, including Etihad’s first-ever narrowbody First Suites—private, enclosed spaces with sliding doors, fully flat beds, and bespoke design usually reserved for long-haul widebody operations. Each window-facing First Suite features a large 20-inch 4K screen, Bluetooth pairing, wireless charging, and additional space for a companion to sit.

The aircraft’s 14-seat Business cabin features widebody-style seats in a 1-1 herringbone layout, ensuring every passenger has direct aisle access and window views. Each Business seat includes a 17.3-inch 4K screen, Bluetooth headphone pairing and wireless charging.

In Economy, 144 thoughtfully designed seats offer generous space and comfort, providing an elevated experience for single-aisle travel. Passengers enjoy 13.3-inch 4K touchscreen displays, USB charging, and Bluetooth connectivity. These seatback screens bring premium content back to narrowbody travel, featuring over a thousand hours of movies, shows, and games.

The cabin features enlarged overhead bins, providing significantly more luggage space than those found in traditional narrowbody aircraft.

Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus Executive Vice President Sales of the Commercial Aircraft Business, commented: “The delivery of Etihad’s first Airbus A321LR is a powerful symbol of innovation and partnership, strengthening the long-standing relationship between Airbus and the UAE. This aircraft sets a new standard for comfort in the single-aisle category and paves the way for increased connectivity as Etihad expands its operations from its Abu Dhabi hub.”

Staying Connected Above the Clouds
A standout feature of Etihad’s A321LR is its high-speed Wi-Fi, powered by Viasat’s advanced technology, delivering speeds of up to 100shundreds of Mbps. Passengers can enjoy seamless streaming, gaming and browsing throughout their journey, bringing ground-level connectivity to the skies. This gate-to-gate connectivity, where permitted, ensures guests remain productive and entertained whether flying for business or leisure. Wi-Fi service on Asian routes is being progressively rolled out and will be available from September 2025.

Expanding Horizons
The A321LR supports Etihad’s extraordinary expansion momentum, with the airline having launched or announced 27 new routes in a single year as part of its ambitious growth strategy. The aircraft will enter commercial service on August 1, 2025, initially operating between Abu Dhabi and Phuket before serving destinations including Algiers, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Kolkata, Krabi, Kraków, Medan, Milan, Paris, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Tunis, and Zurich.

The A321LR delivery supports Etihad’s Journey 2030 vision, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading global aviation hub. An additional nine A321LR aircraft will be delivered throughout 2025, supporting Etihad’s ambitious growth plans as the airline works towards carrying 38 million passengers annually by 2030.

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