Etihad Brings New A350 To Australia

Etihad Airways will roll out its flagship Airbus A350-1000 on the Sydney–Abu Dhabi run from 1 October 2025, while introducing second-generation Boeing 787-9 Business Suites on both Sydney and Melbourne services. The changes boost premium seats by more than twenty per cent and finally retire the airline’s older Boeing 777s from Australian skies. Just note that the Melbourne Etihad flight won't switch to the latest business class product until February 2026.

Retiring the 777 From Australia

The upgrade removes Etihad’s Boeing 777-300ERs, which carried older business class seats, from Australia. This will be a welcome change for travellers as the product was pretty uncompetitive compared to Etihad's rivals such as Emirates and Qatar Airways.

Redeeming Etihad Guest Miles

A one-way Business Suite from Sydney to Abu Dhabi costs 120,000 Etihad Guest Miles plus AU$116 in taxes and fees. Australian travellers can transfer American Express Membership Rewards to Etihad Guest at a 2:1 ratio, so 240,000 MR points cover the fare. Seat availability is pretty good already but we can expect it to improve further once the second daily A350 rotation kicks in early 2026.

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.

Upgrade timeline

• 1 July 2025: Sydney schedule increases to ten flights per week. Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 (Business Studio) and Boeing 777-300ER
• 3 August 2025: Five EY451/EY450 rotations switch to the new Boeing 787-9 featuring Business Suites with sliding doors. Older 787-9 begin phase-out
• 1 October 2025: Airbus A350-1000 replaces 777 on four weekly Sydney flights; Saturday service stays on a 787-9. First A350-1000 service to Australia starts
• 1 February 2026: All Sydney flights move to the Airbus A350-1000
• 1 February 2026: Melbourne upgraded to the new Boeing 787-9 with 32 Business Suites featuring sliding doors. Follows completion of the Sydney A350 fleet swap

Comments From Etihad

Arik De, Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, said: “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 program, featuring one or two-night complimentary stays at a premium hotel.”

Summing Up

From July onwards Etihad begins a phased premium uplift for Australia, starting with doored 787-9 suites and culminating in an all-A350 Sydney schedule by February 2026. Melbourne follows with the upgraded 787-9. Add in a sharp 120,000-mile reward price and low taxes, and Etihad is positioning itself as a serious contender for Australian flyers chasing comfort, privacy and value in the pointy end.