Etihad Airways will start operating its new B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from December 27, almost a month later than the original plan of December 1.
The carrier’s Abu Dhabi – Dusseldorf and Doha routes will be affected by this delay, however the B787 launches to Mumbai and Washington from January 1 so far appear to be unaffacted.
Interestingly, Etihad also plans to launch the A380 superjumbo on the Abu Dhabi – Heathrow route on December 27, the new entry date for the B787.
While this could simply be a PR stunt, it could also indicate that manufacturer Boeing has fallen behind on its delivery commitments. Recent delivery delays of the B787-9 to other customers, such as Air New Zealand, could point to such a conclusion.
For more information, visit etihad.com
Dominic Sebastian Lalk
