Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, welcomed Royalty to its flagship Airbus A380 at the Dubai Airshow, the region’s leading aerospace event.

The aircraft was toured by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline & Group, and chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; and Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman of the Department of Transport (DoT), and a member of the Executive Council, Abu Dhabi.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline’s 496-seat 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.

Etihad Airways’ cabin crew provided VIPs, trade visitors and media with guided tours of the aircraft during the day-long static display at the Middle East’s premier aerospace industry event.

James Hogan, president and chief executive officer of Etihad Airways, said: “It’s been almost a year since Etihad Airways took delivery of its first A380 aircraft and today we are promoting the best-in class service to our industry partners at this prestigious global event.

“Etihad Airways has had a tremendous response from guests travelling on our A380 flights and we look forward to welcoming more with the introduction of the aircraft on a further three destinations over the next few months.”

Etihad Airways currently operates a fleet of five A380s – with a further five on order – flying to London Heathrow and Sydney from its Abu Dhabi hub. From November 23, Etihad will introduce the aircraft on one of its double-daily flights to New York. Beginning May 1, 2016, one of the thrice-daily Mumbai flights will be served by an A380, and the aircraft will be inducted on one of the double-daily Melbourne scheduled services, beginning June 1,2016. – TradeArabia News Service