Etihad to fly Airbus A380 on Abu Dhabi-Mumbai route

Gulf carrier Etihad Airways today said it will operate superjumbo Airbus A380 on the Abu Dhabi- Mumbai route, starting May next year.
This would be Etihad Airways' first A380 operation into India, the UAE national carrier said in a release.
The new route will connect with the airline's A380 New York service, it said.
Etihad holds 24 per cent stake in Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways.
The introduction of the superjumbo to India's commercial capital increases the number of Etihad Airways' A380 global destinations to five, which include Sydney and recently announced Melbourne, which will be rolled out in June 2016, the release said.

The carrier's A380 features the only three-room suite in commercial aviation -- The Residence by Etihad - as well as nine first apartments, 70 business studios and 415 economy smart seats, the release said.

The A380 will operate daily on flight EY204 from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai, and EY203 from Mumbai to Abu Dhabi, both of which will carry the 9W code of Jet Airways, Etihad's strategic partner, according to the release.
Passengers onboard Etihad Airways' A380 service will also be able to connect to popular international destinations served by the airline through Abu Dhabi such as Chicago, San Francisco or Toronto in North America, and Bahrain, Doha or Jeddah in the Gulf region, it said.

"We are delighted to announce that the A380 service will soon be available to guests flying to and from Mumbai. Guests will also be able to connect over our Abu Dhabi hub to Etihad Airways' A380 service to New York, offering the comfort, convenience and superior inflight service of A380 flights all the way," Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive James Hogan said.
Bringing Etihad's flagship product to India and to Maharashtra is further proof of airline's confidence in the Indian market and its commitment to its economy, he said.