For those looking for an improved passenger experience, Etihad Airways is planning to introduce its Airbus A350-1000 aircraft during the winter season, then converting the operation to all A350 flights.
On its way to a land down under soon – Image, Etihad.
Beginning 1 October 2025, the A350 will join the Sydney schedule on select flights, complementing the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner currently serving the route, with both aircraft offering the latest Business Suites.
The timetable during this period is below:
| Flight | Departure City | Departure Time | Arrival City | Arrival Time | Freq | Aircraft Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EY450 | Abu Dhabi | 10:25 | Sydney | 06:10 (+1 day) | Mon, Thu, Sat, Sun | Boeing 787-9 |
| EY451 | Sydney | 15:40 | Abu Dhabi | 00:05 (+1 day) | Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun | Boeing 787-9 |
| EY454 | Abu Dhabi | 21:15 | Sydney | 16:55 (+1 day) | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun | Airbus A350 |
| EY455 | Sydney | 21:30 | Abu Dhabi | 06:00 (+1 day) | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat | Airbus A350 |
| EY454 | Abu Dhabi | 21:15 | Sydney | 16:55 (+1 day) | Fri | Boeing 787-9 |
| EY455 | Sydney | 21:30 | Abu Dhabi | 06:00 (+1 day) | Sat | Boeing 787-9 |
From 31 January 2026, Etihad will fully transition its 10 weekly Sydney services to A350 operations, whilst Melbourne will be served daily by Etihad’s latest 787-9 aircraft featuring Business Suites and increased premium capacity.
| Flight | Departure City | Departure Time | Arrival City | Arrival Time | Freq | Aircraft Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EY450 | Abu Dhabi | 09:40 | Sydney | 06:10 (+1 day) | Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun | Airbus A350 |
| EY451 | Sydney | 16:20 | Abu Dhabi | 23:55 | Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun | Airbus A350 |
| EY454 | Abu Dhabi | 21:55 | Sydney | 18:35 (+1 day) | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun | Airbus A350 |
| EY455 | Sydney | 21:30 | Abu Dhabi | 05:00 (+1 day) | Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun | Airbus A350 |
Etihad’s Airbus A350s offer 44 Business Studio seats, featuring sliding doors, direct aisle access and a fully-flat bed that extends to 79″ in length, along with an 18.5″ screen. Meanwhile, in Economy Class, there are 327 Economy Smart Seats with a recline, a 13-inch touch screen with Bluetooth headset pairing.
All passengers can also take advantage of complimentary Chat packages on Wi-Fi or opt for full surfing throughout the flight.
In Quotes
Arik De, Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, said:
“We are delighted to bring more premium travel options to Australia with the arrival of our A350 on this important route. When the schedule is fully deployed early next year, we will have grown overall seat availability by ten per cent, and premium seat count by over 20 per cent.
“We have increased our flight frequencies to Sydney this year, offering guests greater flexibility and enhanced connectivity across our expanding global network. This growth provides more seamless travel options to key destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and also welcomes more visitors to our home in Abu Dhabi, where they can enjoy our exclusive stopover programme, featuring one or two-night complimentary stays at a premium hotel.”
Shuffling capacity
Etihad is seemingly moving to a business-heavy setup on the Abu Dhabi-Sydney route. The 787-9 has 8 First class suites, 28 Business Class and 199 Economy seats. With the introduction of the Airbus A350-1000, whilst it drops the First Class product, it promotes 44 business class seats (up 16) and 327 Economy Class seats (up 128).
That’s a lot more business and economy class space, compared to the 787-9. With the busy Australian summer in full swing, this will be a welcome capacity bump on this route.
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