Etihad Airways Launches B787-9 Flights to Perth, Australia

An Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will touch down in Perth, Australia today after its inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi.

Etihad Airways flight EY486 took off from Abu Dhabi at 22:30 yesterday and is scheduled to arrive in the Western Australian capital at 13:50 today (2 June) where it will be welcomed by a water cannon salute.

The return flight EY487 will depart Perth this evening at 17:00 and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 00:25 on 3 June.

The B787-9 Dreamliner features Etihad Airways’ next-generation Business and Economy Class cabins. With 299 seats, it delivers 14% more capacity than the Airbus A330-200 it replaces. The B787-9 also offers 27% more seats in Business Class.

“Since launching flights between Perth and Abu Dhabi two years ago we have enjoyed strong two-way demand from business and leisure travellers on the route,” said Etihad Airways Senior Vice President of Marketing, Shane O’Hare. “The Dreamliner, which adds 518 weekly seats to the route, gives us the extra capacity needed to meet this ever-increasing demand.”

The Etihad Airways B787-9 Dreamliner features the airline’s highly acclaimed next-generation interiors with 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats.

The 28 Business Studios all offer direct aisle access, a fully flat bed of up to 80.5 inches long, and an increase of 20% in personal space. Upholstered in the finest Poltrona Frau leather, the Business Studio is equipped with an in-seat massage and pneumatic cushion control system which enables passengers to adjust the firmness and comfort of their seat. Each Business Studio has an 18-inch personal touch-screen TV with noise-cancelling headsets.

The 271 Economy Smart Seats feature a ‘fixed wing’ headrest, adjustable lumbar support and an 11.1” personal TV monitor.

The Dreamliner fleet features the latest Panasonic eX3 entertainment system which provides more than 750 hours of on-demand entertainment including seven live TV channels, improved gaming and high definition screens across all cabins. The aircraft has full mobile and Wi-Fi service, with USB and power points at every seat.

Etihad Airways in Australia

Beyond Perth, Etihad Airways offers connections to eight towns and cities in Western Australia in conjunction with codeshare partner Virgin Australia. The partnership enables guests to seamlessly connect to Etihad Airways’ global network from Broome, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Kununurra, Karratha, Paraburdoo, Port Hedland and Newman.

In addition to the WA capital, Etihad Airways serves Sydney with double daily flights, in conjunction with Virgin Australia; double daily flights to Melbourne; and daily services to Brisbane.

Perth is the second Australian city to be served by Etihad Airways’ B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft; Brisbane was the first in June 2015.

The Dreamliner is also deployed to Singapore, Washington DC, Zurich and Düsseldorf. Services will commence to Istanbul, Johannesburg and Shanghai throughout the remainder of 2016.

With a further 64 Boeing 787 Dreamliners scheduled for delivery over the next few years, the aircraft will become the mainstay of Etihad Airways’ long-haul fleet. 

See other recent news regarding: Etihad Airways, Australia, Perth, Abu Dhabi