Etihad Airways revealed the latest destination for its upcoming Airbus A321LR fleet earlier this week when it announced it would be boosting service to Milan with the addition of a third daily flight. The new service brings the current list of known A321LR destinations to 10. The carrier hopes to both take delivery of its first example and launch it into service later this year.
Milan’s third daily frequency
Etihad Airways announced earlier this week that it would be adding a third daily service to its Milan operation. This new rotation, offered during the morning, will complement existing service with a Boeing 777-300. This means that the airline will have a departure at every moment of the day as it looks to improve “convenience” for both leisure and business travelers. Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commerical Officer at Etihad Airways said:
“With our morning, afternoon and evening departures from Abu Dhabi and sensational value fares, our triple-daily Milan flights serve up perfect timings for guests travelling in both directions. This enhanced schedule gives travellers more options to explore Abu Dhabi and connect to our growing global network, while strengthening vital links between two dynamic cities.”
Photo: Carlos Yudica | Shutterstock
According to OAG data for the 12 months ending July 2024, just over 34,000 two-way passengers traveled between Abu Dhabi and Milan. Etihad says that with the triple daily frequency, Etihad will have 12,600 weekly seats on offer between the two cities, a year-on-year increase of roughly 115%. The carrier will offer a departure from Milan at the following times as of November 1.
- 09:55 on a Boeing 777-300
- 15:10 on an Airbus A321LR
- 21:50 on a Boeing 777-300
The 10 initial routes
The airline’s Airbus A321LRs will debut on flights to Phuket (HKT) on August 1, operating daily. Other routes will be added over time, including flights to Düsseldorf (DUS) and Copenhagen (CPH) as of October 1, also daily. Take a look at the current network plan below.
|
Destination |
Launch date (with the A321LR) |
Frequency |
Distance in nautical miles (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Milan |
November 1 |
Daily |
2,932 (4,719) |
|
Hanoi |
November 3 |
Six times weekly |
2,826 (5,234) |
|
Algiers |
November 7 |
Four times weekly |
2,729 (5,054) |
|
Phnom Penh |
October 3 |
Up to five times weekly |
2,955 (5,473) |
|
Chiang Mai |
November 3 |
Four times weekly |
2,490 (4,611) |
|
Düsseldorf |
October 1 |
Daily |
2,716 (5,030) |
|
Copenhagen |
October 1 |
Daily |
2,623 (4,858) |
|
Tunis |
November 1 |
Three times weekly |
2,393 (4,432) |
|
Krabi |
October 9 |
Daily |
2,723 (5,043) |
|
Phuket |
August 1 |
Daily |
2,688 (4,978) |
Efficiency on thinner routes
The Airbus A321LR is particularly useful on the Etihad Airways network for thinner routes with lower demand. There are several primary benefits to the introduction of the plane into the carrier’s fleet, including:
- Freeing up widebodies: for certain routes on which Etihad already operates, Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 aircraft are deployed. By replacing these with the lower cost and lower risk Airbus A321LR, the carrier can use the widebodies on other routes that require the added capacity.
- Low-risk and low-cost: the airline’s tentative A321LR network above demonstrates a focus towards routes with thinner demand. The lower overall capacity of the type and its range capability makes it ideally suited on routes that might not warrant a widebody flight.
- More frequencies to improve the offer: with the A321LR, Etihad can increase frequencies on some routes without compromising on load factors. Take Milan for instance, where the addition of the A321LR daily service is complementary to widebody flights, providing a more convenient offering.
Photo: GCMap.com
In October, De had said:
“The LRs will enable omnidirectional growth for us [rather than just west-to-east, etc.]. It will allow us to fly to many places for which the A350/787/777 is too big [no surprise] and where we can offer a year-round rather than a seasonal service. It will open up multiple secondary destinations in Europe and Asia [they’ll need to be sufficiently premium]. We will swap aircraft in many markets, such as the Seychelles, replacing the A320 with reclining seats with the fully-flat LR.
Photo: Carlos Yudica | Shutterstock
The LR will enable us to increase frequencies [a key aim of the airline for competitive reasons]. Some European destinations that are currently twice-daily will become three daily, perhaps fully replacing widebodies [but what about cargo?]”
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