Etihad Airways introduced nine aircraft in the third quarter, including its first three Airbus A321LRs, contributing to a capacity increase of more than 20% over the same quarter last year.
The airline’s fleet expanded with three Boeing 787s, a pair of Airbus A350s, and a single A320 over the three months to 30 September.
They took the overall fleet for the Abu Dhabi-based airline to 115 aircraft, a net increase of 19 from last year.
Etihad says the quarter was “one of [its] busiest delivery periods”.
The airline put its first A321LR into service on 1 August, with a flight to Phuket, and claims the type has been “particularly well-received” by passengers.
Over the first nine months of the year, capacity was up 17%, and Etihad’s net profit rose 26% to reach Dhs1.7 billion ($463 million), on an 18% increase in revenues to Dhs21.7 billion.
“Etihad’s performance this year has set a new benchmark, outpacing the market and driving nearly half of the United Arab Emirates’ total passenger growth,” says chief executive Antonoaldo Neves. “It’s a clear validation of our strategy.”
