Etihad to deploy Boeing 787 Dreamliner on Amsterdam, Madrid routes

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways has announced plans to deploy its Boeing 787-9 aircraft on routes to Amsterdam and Madrid.

The 299-seat Dreamliners will be introduced on year-round scheduled services to Amsterdam from September 1, and to Madrid from 1 October.

The 787-9 will also operate seasonally to Athens during the summer months.

Etihad will also deploy the aircraft to Amsterdam route between June 2 – 30 to help meet additional demand during the early summer peak period.

The current four weekly Madrid services will also be boosted with additional flights, moving to a daily operation from June 1, a statement said.

From September 1, flight EY 77 will depart Abu Dhabi at 9.15am and arrive in Amsterdam at 2.45pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

EY 78 will depart from the Netherlands capital at 9.25pm and arrive the next morning at 6.20am in the UAE capital on the same days.

The route will be operated by A330-200 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

To Madrid, daily flight EY 75 will leave from Abu Dhabi at 2.15am and arrive in the Spanish capital at 8.40am.

The return flight EY 76 will depart from Madrid at 10am and land in Abu Dhabi at 7.35pm.

With a phased delivery of nine Boeing 787-9s this year, the aircraft are being introduced on international routes from Abu Dhabi.

Etihad currently operates a fleet of 13 Dreamliners to 11 destinations including Washington, Düsseldorf, Zurich, Johannesburg, Amman, Riyadh, Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, Perth and Brisbane from Abu Dhabi.

Beirut, Beijing, Seoul and Melbourne are due to join the 787 network over the next few months.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways CEO, said: “Flights to and from Amsterdam and Madrid cater to business and leisure travellers, and with growing demand, there was a strong case to introduce bigger aircraft to these destinations.

“The 787 is fast becoming our flagship long-haul aircraft and as more are delivered, we will continue to look at upgrading existing routes with these planes.”

Etihad’s two-class Boeing 787-9s include 28 business studios and 271 economy smart seats. The airline first introduced the 787 into commercial service more than two years ago.

It has pending deliveries of a further 58 Dreamliners over the next few years.