Etihad Airways will begin flying its new B787-9 aircraft to both Washington, DC and Mumbai from March 15.
The deployment of the fuel-efficient aircraft shows the growing importance of travel between the US and India.
This also marks the US debut of Etihad’s next generation first, business, and economy class products.
The aircraft comes with eight First Suites, 28 Business Studios, and 199 Economy Smart Seats, offering new levels of comfort, entertainment and inflight connectivity.
"As the most technologically advanced aircraft in its class, the Boeing 787 will reduce the operating costs and carbon emissions on our Washington, D.C. route and provide maximum efficiency and reliability,” said James Hogan, president and chief executive of Etihad Airways.
First Suite
Flight EY131 departs Abu Dhabi at 1130 and arrives in Washington DC at 1845. The return EY132 service takes off again at 2250 and arrives back in Abu Dhabi at 1945 the following day.
Having launched direct links between Abu Dhabi and Washington DC in March 2013, the Gulf carrier has seen strong demand for the service from government and business travellers.
Business Studio
In order to increase passenger convenience, Etihad now offers its customers the opportunity to pre-clear US Customs and Border Protection at Abu Dhabi Airport and thereby avoid lenghty queues on arrival in the US.
Passengers connecting to a domestic service within the US can also have their bags checked through to their final destination as the baggage security screening process at Abu Dhabi Airport is in full compliance with the TSA security standards.
For more information, visit etihad.com
Clement Huang
