10 Things You Didn’t Know about the Etihad A380
Etihad Airways is one of the biggest airlines based out of the United Arab Emirates. In total, it operates more than a thousand flights on a weekly basis, which connect places that range from the Middle East to Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. As a result, it should come as no surprise to learn that its fleet numbers more than a 100 planes from both Airbus and Boeing, which include 10 Airbus A380s. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about the Etihad A380:
1. It Is Operated by the Flag Carrier
Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, which is based on the fact that it is state-owned. However, it is interesting in that it isn’t the sole flag carrier, seeing as how it shares that status with Emirates, which is rather unusual but nonetheless something that can happen.
2. It Is Operated by the Second Bigger Airline in the United Arab Emirates
The biggest airline in the United Arab Emirates would be Emirates. As for Etihad Airways, well, it occupies the second position.
3. Started Seeing Use in 2014
In total, Etihad Airways ordered 10 A380s from Airbus, with the result that they were able to start seeing service in 2014. This makes it one of the sixteen airlines that have been confirmed to have made such purchases from Airbus. With that said, the size of its purchase isn’t particularly notable, whereas the same can’t be said for Emirates, which has been responsible for 162 of the more than 300 planes that have been ordered so far.
4. Each One Carries 498 Passengers
Each of Etihad Airways’s A380s can carry a total of 498 passengers. Most of these passengers fall under Economy class. However, there is seating for 70 Business class passengers as well as 11 First class passengers.
5. Includes “The Residence by Etihad”
The most notable of the First class seats on one of Etihad Airways’s A380s might be “The Residence by Etihad.” In short, it is a three-room suite that consists of a bedroom, a living room, and a shower room, which is rather rare on a commercial airline to say the least. Said suite is meant for a pair of people traveling together rather than someone traveling on their own.
6. Includes “First Apartments”
Meanwhile, the other nine First class seats consist of “First Apartments,” which come with a chair as well as a separate bed. Besides this, there are various other amenities, with an excellent example being the fully-functional vanity that comes complete with a make-up mirror that lights up as needed.
7. Six “First Apartments” Are Interconnected
Out of the nine “First Apartments,” a full six of them are inter-connected in nature. Something that makes them a good choice for people who are traveling together rather than on their own, seeing as how it can make it much easier for them to share a meal, hold a short meeting, and otherwise interact with one another.
8. Wide-Bodied Double Decker
Some people might wonder how the A380 has so much room. If so, they should know that the plane is a wide-bodied double decker, which means exactly what it sounds like. In short, the A380 is wider. Moreover, it has not one but two decks for passengers.
9. Meant to Challenge Boeing Head-On
Speaking of which, it is interesting to note that the A380 was meant to challenge Boeing head-on. In short, Boeing possessed an overwhelming position in the market for large aircraft, so much so that it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that it held a monopoly at the time. The A380 was meant to carve out a position for Airbus in the same market, which is something that it has had some success in. However, having said this, its effort in this regard hasn’t exactly proceeded in a perfectly smooth and uninterrupted manner either.
10. The A380 Has Had Aviation Occurrences in the Past
So far, the A380 hasn’t had any hull losses. However, it has been involved in a couple of incidents. The first time was a Qantas flight that had an uncontained engine failure, which was caused by a defective oil pipe that led to an engine fire. The second time was an Air France flight that suffered what seemed like an uncontained engine failure as well. There were no casualties in either case.
