A photo tour of Etihad’s new Boeing 787-9 first, business and economy class

April 6, 2016 2 Comments 1,236 Views

Etihad is the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates and a 24% stake-holder in Jet Airways.

At the recent India Aviation show, BangaloreAviation was invited to tour Etihad’s newest aircraft type, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

The 787-9 is a stretched variant and commenced joining Etihad’s fleet from December 31, 2014, just 15 days after the airline’s flagship the Airbus A380.

The aircraft on display at the show was A6-BLB, a one year old 787-9 which was delivered to Etihad on February 16, 2015. The aircraft is powered by two General Electric GEnx-1B engines. The aircraft carries 231 passengers – eight in first class, 28 in business, and 195 in economy.

First class

The first class cabin has eight closed suites which offer a seat width of 29.5 inches. The seat turns into a full flat bed with a turn down service. The cabin is laid out with four seats facing forward and four seats facing backward.

The first class cabin on Etihad 787-9.
The first class cabin on Etihad 787-9.
Suite 1A with the seat upright. Etihad First Class Boeing 787-9.
Suite 1A with the seat upright.
Suite 2D and 2G showing the lie flat bed after being turned down. Etihad First Class Boeing 787-9.
Suite 2D and 2G showing the lie flat bed after being turned down.
Suite 1A with the seat upright. Etihad First Class Boeing 787-9.
Seat 1A.
Etihad Boeing 787-9 first class turn-down service, amenity kit (top-left), pyjamas, and herbal tea infusion.
Etihad Boeing 787-9 first class turn-down service, amenity kit (top-left), pyjamas, and herbal tea infusion.
Photo copyright Devesh Agarwal.
First class lavatory.
First class lavatory.

Business class

The business class cabin features 28 seats in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration with alternating rows facing forward and rear. Each seat offers direct aisle access. The seat converts into a full flat bed and also features a retractable privacy screen between passengers.

Business class cabin on Etihad's Boeing 787-9.
Business class cabin on Etihad’s Boeing 787-9.
A close up of a pair forward center seats. Business class cabin on Etihad's Boeing 787-9.
A close up of a pair forward center seats.
Business class cabin on Etihad's Boeing 787-9. Privacy screen raised
Etihad business class seat with privacy screen raised
A close up of a pair forward center seats. Business class cabin on Etihad's Boeing 787-9.
A close up of a pair forward center seats. Business class cabin on Etihad’s Boeing 787-9.
Business class cabin on Etihad's Boeing 787-9.
Business class cabin on Etihad’s Boeing 787-9.

Etihad’s premium service is an area where the airline focuses a good deal of attention and the updated cabin product will help the airline further improve on that service. Read our trip reports on the airline’s Airbus A340-600 and the Airbus A330.

Economy class

Last up the economy cabin on the 787-9 is configured in 195 seats in a 3-3-3 configuration. Like most airlines Etihad’s economy seat on the 787 is a bone crunching 17 inch wide.

Economy cabin on Etihad's Boeing 787-9.
Economy cabin on Etihad’s Boeing 787-9.
Economy cabin on Etihad's Boeing 787-9.
Economy cabin on Etihad’s Boeing 787-9.

What do you think of Etihad’s 787 and which is your favorite 787? Let us know via a comment.

Pictures are copyright of Devesh Agarwal and are used with permission, all rights reserved. Please do not reproduce in any form.

About Vedant Agarwal

A frequent flyer for both work and pleasure - Vedant has held elite status on many of the major alliances and airlines. Also an avid aviation photographer, his pictures have been published in and on the covers of many international publications.

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2 comments

  1. Xing Honey
    April 7, 2016 at 23:40

    How reliable is this new version 9 of B787? It seems that 3 (VT-ANJ,VT-ANM and VT-ANR(recent engine failure coming back fom HKG landed at kolkata)) out of 21 AirIndia B787-8 are down currently. May be AirIndia MRO is poor but they are also working for other airlines now.

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