Etihad Airways has incorporated its sixth A350 into its expanding fleet. The new aircraft touched down this weekend after a successful delivery journey from Toulouse, France.
Prominently recognized for its sustainability features, the A350 emerges as a top-tier wide-body jet, showcasing a remarkable 25 percent reduction in CO2 emissions and a noise footprint that is 50 percent smaller compared to previous aircraft models.
The long-range capabilities of the A350-1000 render it a versatile addition to Etihad’s fleet. This summer, Etihad is set to commence operations with the A350 to Atlanta, marking its latest and sixth entry point into North America among the 16 new routes the airline plans to unveil this year.
Positive performance reflects growth trajectory
Last week, Etihad Airways disclosed its traffic data for March 2025, maintaining its strong momentum as one of the fastest-growing global airlines.
During the initial quarter, the airline accommodated 5 million passengers and greeted 1.6 million guests in March, showing a 14 percent increase compared to the corresponding period last year, in alignment with Etihad’s upward trend.
Achieving an 87 percent passenger load factor in the first quarter marked an improvement from 86 percent recorded in the same period in 2024. Concurrently, Etihad expanded its capacity and augmented its operational fleet size by 10 percent.
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Expanding global reach
Etihad Airways recently unveiled its plans to further extend its global network by introducing flights to Peshawar, Pakistan, commencing on September 29, 2025.
This new route will bridge Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi (AUH), with Bacha Khan International Airport (PEW) in Peshawar, facilitating seamless connections to Etihad’s expanding array of destinations on its route map.
The service on this route will be operated using modern Airbus A320 family aircraft, offering eight Business Class and 150 Economy Class seats, ensuring passengers experience Etihad’s renowned service quality on board. Initially, the flights will operate five times a week, transitioning to daily flights from November 22, 2025.
