Etihad Airways Eyes 777X or A350 Order

Etihad Airways is continuing its bid to grow as part of Journey 2030 plans, and talks regarding a new aircraft order are beginning.

The aircraft order, which would involve a commitment to widebody aircraft, comes from people familiar with the matter and Bloomberg sources.

Etihad Airways has announced on several occasions its bold ambitions to double its fleet and route network by 2030, with substantial increases in other avenues of the business.

While discussions are in their infant stages, the two likely options will be the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X, two aircraft already present in the Etihad Airways operation, whether currently flying or with future deliveries scheduled.

Such a purchase is being viewed as an important move to facilitate future growth within the company. While the airline has many aircraft on order, it knows it’ll need more planes to realise its true ambitions.

Long-haul flying is important, and in the case of Etihad Airways, it needs to be done with high-capacity aircraft. Unfortunately, aircraft manufacturers have moved away from ultra-high-capacity aircraft, making it harder for airlines.

However, the persistent aircraft delivery delays impacting programmes such as the A350 and 777X are of great concern, the latter being worse, considering it is a widebody that remains uncertified.

Boeing only last week announced it would push back deliveries of the first 777X by another year to 2026 at the earliest, permitting no further hiccups, as it realizes its current forecasting is not realistic.

Etihad’s 2010 Failed Aircraft Orders

Such a colossal prospective order followed a major aircraft order in early 2010 when Etihad Airways was also looking to expand its fleet considerably.

However, this aircraft order, alongside other poor business decisions, would be the catalyst for the carrier’s undoing and propel it into a state of significant losses that would exceed billions annually.

Etihad overestimated the aircraft it would require, which resulted in it having too many aircraft it didn’t require, forcing deferrals and cancellations and leading to major financial hits.

As 2025 approaches, Etihad will look to execute its due diligence in studying the exact amount of aircraft it requires. The fleet has progressed through the years and, despite supply chain issues, has continued to increase year over year.