Etihad Airways ‘Sustainable 50’ A350 arrives in the United States following the inaugural commercial flight from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on 30 June. The aircraft, which accommodates 371 passengers, is one of five new Airbus A350s to join Etihad’s fleet this year. All Etihad flights servicing New York and Chicago O’Hare International Airport will be operated by the A350, joining Mumbai and Delhi routes that began flying in April this year.
Etihad passengers traveling to the US enjoy access to Etihad’s US pre-clearance, the only United States Customs and Border Protection facility in the Middle East. They can process all immigration, customs and agriculture inspections in Abu Dhabi before they board their flight, avoiding immigration and queues on arrival in the US.
The result of a partnership between Etihad, Airbus and Rolls Royce in 2021, the Etihad Airways ‘Sustainable 50’ program utilizes Etihad’s A350s as flying testbeds for new initiatives, procedures and technologies to reduce carbon emissions. This will build on the learnings derived from Etihad’s similar Greenliner program for the Boeing 787 aircraft type. The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered Airbus A350 is one of the most efficient aircraft types in the world, with 25% less fuel burn and CO2 emissions than previous-generation twin-aisle aircraft.
The aircraft boasts Abu Dhabi-inspired cabin interior which is both more efficient and sustainable in design. Etihad’s signature lighting design enhances the guest experience by providing an optimum environment for sleeping and reducing the effects of jetlag. The Airbus A350 also offers the quietest cabin experience for a wide-body aircraft. Another feature to help reduce light pollution, and therefore jetlag, is the new dark-mode interface on the E-BOX inflight entertainment system.
Etihad’s Business class features 44 Business Studios with sliding doors. With a width of over 20″, every seat faces forward with direct aisle access and converts into a fully-flat bed of 79″ in length. There is a built-in wireless charging dock and Bluetooth headphone pairing.
Etihad’s spacious Economy cabin is configured with 327 smart seats in a 3-3-3 arrangement, of which 45 ‘Economy Space’ seats have been enhanced with an additional 4 inches of legroom. The seats feature Etihad’s signature supportive headrest, USB charging and Bluetooth headphone pairing, as well as a 13.3″ inch screen to enjoy Etihad’s award-winning inflight entertainment system.
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