Etihad also has plans to expand its existing first class to more routes.
Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi-based flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has announced it will introduce first-class seating onboard its new Airbus A321LR aircraft, which are slated to join the fleet on August 1.
The aircraft, a narrowbody twin-engine plane popular with carriers around the world, is specially designed to operate on longer flights at lower capacity than the widebody jets Etihad and its competitors typically operate on such services. First-class suites are typically only installed on an airline’s largest long-haul jets. Introducing first class to the A321LR will allow Etihad to offer first class to smaller markets where there is demand for a premium cabin, but not for the number of seats onboard a widebody aircraft.
Each Etihad A321LR will be equipped with two first suites at the front of the aircraft, which will offer a sliding door, lie-flat bed with luxury loungewear, slippers, and amenity kits from Giorgio Armani, turndown service, and elevated on-demand anytime dining. The aircraft will also be configured with 14 lie-flat beds in business class, and 144 economy seats. Etihad also has plans to expand its existing first class to more routes in addition to those that will be served by the new A321LR.
In addition to the new suites, passengers in first class will benefit from private chauffeur service to and from the airport in each city, and will be escorted directly from the curb to the lounge or to the aircraft, with porters handling passenger baggage. Guests arriving in Abu Dhabi can take advantage of the airline’s Land & Leave service, which allows guests to clear immigration formalities and go directly to their home or a hotel, with their checked bags delivered later.
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Many carriers take different approaches to International first-class cabins. US airlines have all removed their first-class cabins in favor of Business Class on long-haul international flights, but many airlines in Europe and Asia have maintained first-class cabins in select markets with significant first-class demand. Airlines such as Air France, Lufthansa, SWISS, British Airways, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas all maintain first-class cabins, with plans to do so into the future. Air France launched a new La Première cabin in early 2025, which is being rolled out to more cities than Air France currently offers the service to.
Carriers in the Middle East region have long been more prolific in offering International first Class, even on short and medium-haul flights flown by widebody aircraft. In addition to Etihad, fellow UAE carrier Emirates, and Gulf competitors Qatar Airways, Kuwait Airways, and Saudia each offer first Class, although each of them limits their first Class to widebody aircraft.
American Airlines currently offers Flagship First on a select number of Airbus A321 aircraft operating Transcontinental flights between New York and Los Angeles, but American has said it is in the process of phasing out Flagship First across its widebody and narrowbody fleets. United Airlines once offered first class on its own subfleet of transcontinental Boeing 757s, which are similar in size and capacity to the A321, but has also phased out its first class cabins in favor of United Polaris Business Class.
Etihad will introduce 10 A321LR aircraft in 2025. The aircraft will serve a mix of regional and longer-haul destinations from Abu Dhabi, including many that do not currently have flights with first service available. Destinations planned for the new aircraft include Algiers, Athens, Bangkok, Chennai, Chiang Mai, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Kolkata, Krabi, Medan, Milan, Paris, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Riyadh, Tunis, and Zurich.
The A321LR does not have the range to reach North America nonstop from Abu Dhabi. Those cities will continue to be served by Etihad’s widebody fleet.
Etihad also offers first class onboard Airbus A380, Boeing 777-300ER, and Boeing 787-9 aircraft. On A380 aircraft, Etihad offers both one-room first-class suites, called “The Apartment,” and sells upgrades to The Residence, a three-room first-class suite including a living room, private shower suite, and bedroom.
