Etihad’s big plane change on Sydney route

Passengers flying on this popular Sydney route will notice a big change as the major airline makes a big service announcement.

Passengers flying on Etihad Airways’ popular Sydney to Abu Dhabi route will soon notice a big change.

The Middle Eastern carrier will introduce its A350 to the schedule, alongside the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, before fully transitioning its 10 weekly Sydney services to A350 operations, from January 2026.

Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine, it’s deemed one of the most efficient aircraft types in the world, with 25 per cent less fuel burn and CO2 emissions than previous models.

Mark Mulville, general manager – Australia & New Zealand, Etihad Airways, said the move has been years in the making.

Etihad Airways welcomes A350 to Sydney from October 2025.

“We have been working toward bringing the A350 to Sydney for the past few years, but as our A350 fleet grows, we will now be finally able to transition Sydney to an all A350 schedule by early 2026,” Mr Mulville told news.com.au.

“Sydney – Abu Dhabi is one of the longest routes on the Etihad network, making the A350 the perfect choice.

“Not only does it allow us to elevate the guest experience with our latest business and economy cabin products, but it’s an incredibly efficient aircraft, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn & CO2 emissions.”

When the schedule is fully deployed early next year, Etihad will have grown overall seat availability by 10 per cent and premium seat count by over 20 per cent.

Inside the A350’s Business Class home to 44 studios.

The aircraft has 44 Business Studios, each with a sliding door, and a fully flat bed of 79 inches in length, with plenty of storage space.

There’s also 327 Economy Smart Seats with an “innovative recline” and 13-inch touch screen with Bluetooth headset pairing.

“The A350 is renowned for delivering one of the most comfortable flying experiences available, especially for long haul travel (a reasons Qantas selected the aircraft for its project Sunrise flying),” Mr Mulville said.

As of January next year the A350 will fully transition its 10 weekly Sydney services to A350 operations.

“With our world class cabin design, featuring 44 private business suites with doors, and 327 economy seats, the aircraft will bring a new level of luxury and efficiency to Australia.”

He said Sydney is currently served by our Boeing 777-300ER & 787-9 fleets and demand for premium cabin capacity continues to grow.

“[And] an all A350 schedule allows us to deliver a 20 per cent increase to our Australian guests. At the same time we’ll have product consistency across all our daily Sydney departures, while freeing up our newest 787-9s for redeployment to Melbourne.”

Melbourne will be served daily by Etihad’s latest 787-9 aircraft also featuring Business Suites and increased premium capacity.

“Scheduling our A350s to Sydney allows Melbourne to be flown by our newest Boeing 787-9 fleet, with 32 business studio suites. The latest 787-9 product is equally as impressive as the A350, but ensures we match capacity with demand. By February 2026 our Sydney & Melbourne product will be the best Etihad has on offer.”