Etihad Places Order For 28 Boeing Widebodies

FRANKFURT—Etihad Airways has placed an order for 28 additional Boeing widebody aircraft, supporting its plans to grow quickly over the next several years.

The order, announced May 16, comprises a mix of Boeing 777Xs and 787s. The airline did not disclose how many of each type it plans to take and what versions of the two families it is focusing on.

“This commitment reflects our approach of carefully managing our fleet and expanding in line with demand and our long-term network plans,” Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves said. “Since 2023, we’ve made consistent additions to our fleet, and this latest step ensures we continue to meet our future requirements.”

After aggressive growth and also mounting losses in the early phase of its development, Etihad’s owner, the government of Abu Dhabi, decided to temporarily put the breaks on further expansion and its ambitions to keep up with Emirates and Qatar Airways. But since 2023, Etihad has changed course again and aims to double its fleet by 2030.

According to the Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database, Etihad has 98 aircraft in service and 11 more parked or stored. Before the latest Boeing announcement, it had outstanding orders for 20 Airbus A321neos, 14 A350-1000s, seven A350Fs, 25 Boeing 777Xs, eight 787-9s and 20 787-10s.

Candidates for retirement are its 10 A380s, some of the older 777-300ERs and the two remaining A330s the airline operates. The Boeing order could be followed by a commitment to more Airbus aircraft since the airline has typically made sure it has strong exposure to both manufacturers.

Etihad’s order was preceded by a larger Qatar Airways commitment for a total of 160 Boeing 777Xs and 787s announced May 14. Emirates has 248 Boeing widebodies on firm order, including 205 777Xs. The airline is also awaiting on 61 more A350-900s.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline said aircraft deliveries from the new order will start in 2028.