Etihad to ground A380s ‘indefinitely’ and axe its Boeing 777-300ER fleet

Etihad Airways to ground A380s ‘indefinitely’.  Image:  Etihad Airways

Douglas announced the move at the World Aviation Festival today saying: "We had got far too diversified when it came to fleet types to be operationally efficient."

Douglas said the ten A380s were "a wonderful product, but they are no longer commercially sustainable"

The airline will also be without the Boeing 777-300ER after the end of this year.

"You will see of us a very focused, a very disciplined operating model which is heavily built around the fleet of the (Boeing) 787 Dreamliner and (Airbus) A350-1000," said Douglas.

Etihad currently has 19 Boeing 777-300ERs, with orders for 25 of Boeing's next-generation 777X series.

Douglas said: “"We're now into midsize but commercially sustainable, and obsessive with customer service. It's the boutique end that is where we want to operate."

"In so doing, the statement we've made clear is that the backbone of our fleet, for the medium term, is the 787.”

Etihad counts 39 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in its fleet, with both the 787-9 and 787-10 models.

The airline has also taken delivery of five of the 20 Airbus A350-1000s ordered.