Etihad Airways Celebrates the Triumphant Return of its Airbus A380

The return of the sky’s biggest airline is being celebrated by Etihad Airways. This morning, the airline flew its first passenger Airbus A380 from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR).

With practically every airline, including Etihad, there were periods when it appeared as though the Airbus A380 was headed for retirement. Tony Douglas, the previous CEO of the airline, would not rule out the Airbus A380’s comeback. Etihad is currently flying the Goliath of the skies, albeit being a little behind other Middle Eastern airlines.

At London Heathrow Airport, which is now home to six Airbus A380 airlines, Etihad Airways’ Airbus A380 triumphantly returned to the skies today with people on board. The outbound leg, EY11, took departure at 02:37, some 30 minutes later than planned, due to a short delay at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Despite this, the flight made good progress, landing in London three minutes early. The flight was piloted by A6-APG. But Etihad wasn’t just happy about the outbound flight. The largest passenger plane in the world returned to commercial flight to a raucous welcome at London Heathrow. Things got underway at the check-in counter, where distinctive banners were put up advertising the service return.

The festivities continued after check-in. Since the Airbus A380 seats 485 passengers and the trip was full, Etihad had a large number of cupcakes accessible on the ground. Cupcakes were also distributed on trays throughout the business and first-class lounges. For the passengers in economy, there was a sizable table at the gate with even more cupcakes.

Passengers received gifts to mark the occasion as the celebrations continued inside the aircraft. An Airbus A380 fridge magnet and a postcard were given to each passenger. First-class passengers received a commemorative miniature aeroplane on top of a tiny box of chocolates, while business-class travellers also received one. Additionally, special menus honouring the flight were created, and the normal amenity pack received a coordinated wrap. Unique headrest covers were added to each seat in the economy section to coordinate with the Airbus A380’s overall logo.