Etihad Airways revealed the new interior for three Boeing 787 Dreamliners that will join the carrier’s fleet in the third quarter of this year.
The latest aircraft that will come into operation for the national airline for the UAE will feature a customised version of Elements seats in its business class cabin.
The seats, manufactured by Collins, are being used for the first time on the Etihad 787 aircraft. They were unveiled at last week’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai.
Etihad said the new Elements seats “will provide guests with a comfortable and spacious environment with added privacy provided by a suite door”.
The height of the suite has been further increased from the A350’s debut model, offering even greater privacy for guests.
Each of the 32 business seats has direct aisle access with the cabin designed in a 1-2-1 configuration offering privacy whether travelling individually or with companions.
The seats recline to a fully lie-flat-bed 78 inch in length and feature a 17.3 inch 4K TV screen, Bluetooth headphone pairing, multiple charging ports and wireless charging and storage.
Antonoaldo Neves, chief executive of Etihad Airways, said: “Etihad’s new 787 Dreamliner cabin interior showcases further enhancements to our award-winning and industry renowned cabins.
“Our new Business class takes the guest experience to new heights with the second evolution of the Business Studio which was launched on the Airbus A350-1000 last year.”
The economy cabin in the new 787s will feature 271 seats which are lighter in weight than the current fleet to improve fuel efficiency.
In-flight entertainment will be provided on the 13.3 inch 4K touch-screen monitor which also includes a USB charging port.
The new 787 Dreamliners will provide the latest in in-flight entertainment technology from Safran.
New features include Rave Ultra 4K monitors, Bluetooth headphone pairing and the option to pair personal phones and tablets to the screen and use as a remote.
The aircraft are fitted with a new connectivity solution from Viasat using Ka-band technology which offers high-speed Wi-Fi with streaming capabilities on board as well as Live TV, including news and sport channels.
Etihad’s E-BOX also offers extensive entertainment options catering to a broad range of guests and preferences.
Etihad has introduced new Wi-Fly packages on its wide-body fleet with Chat and Surf packages offering unlimited data.
Etihad Guest members, including those who enrol instantly just before the flight, are rewarded with free ‘Chat’ packages while they fly.
The free Chat packages provide access to popular messaging apps such as What’s App, WeChat, Messenger and more.
Neves said: “We remain fully committed to providing industry-leading experiences for our guests and we’re proud to showcase this here at the Arabian Travel Market.
“This year is about growth for Etihad – as well as enhancing our guest experience and adding aircraft to our fleet, we’ve announced new routes for our network, including Kolkata last month, Lisbon, Malaga and Mykonos this summer and Copenhagen and Dusseldorf in the fourth quarter.”
