Etihad is ditching its largest and swankiest jets including the popular Airbus A380 and Boeing 777

• Etihad Airways will stop flying the Boeing 777-300ER, its second-largest jet, after 2021.
• CEO Tony Douglas shared the news at the World Aviation Festival, according to Reuters.
• The focus will be on newer aircraft like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350-1000 XWB.

Etihad Airways is planning to stop flying its second-largest aircraft after this year in yet another pandemic aircraft retirement for the airline.

The Boeing 777-300ER fleet of aircraft is next on the chopping block for Etihad as the airline seeks a return to profitability in 2023, CEO Tony Douglas said at the World Aviation Festival, according to Reuters. The focus, instead, will be on Etihad's newer aircraft like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350-1000 XWB.

"You will see of us a very focused, a very disciplined operating model which is heavily built around the fleet of the 787 Dreamliner and A350-1000," Reuters reported Douglas as saying.

Etihad currently has 39 787 Dreamliner aircraft in its fleet, according to Planespotters.net, including the 787-9 and 787-10 variants. Both offer intercontinental ranges that are comparable to the 777-300ER, although the Dreamliner fleet offers at least 60 fewer seats than the 777-300ER fleet when in a two-class configuration.

Boeing's Dreamliners have been in Etihad's fleet since 2014 and are the airline's long-haul workhorse during the pandemic. Some of Etihad's furthest destinations like New York; Chicago; Tokyo, Japan; and Seoul, South Korea have been receiving the aircraft in recent months, substituting in seamlessly for the A380 and 777 fleets.

Five Airbus A350-1000 XWBs have already been delivered to Etihad but no aircraft are currently flying despite some being delivered before the pandemic. The largest A350 variant, the Dash 1000 model can seat a similar number of passengers as the 777-300ER.

Both the Boeing and Airbus models offer significant cost savings thanks to their fuel efficiency while boasting more passenger-friendly amenities like lower cabin altitudes, mood lighting, and increased cabin humidity.

CEO Tony Douglas also said in March that it's "very likely" that the Airbus A380 fleet won't fly for Etihad again now that they've been put into storage.

The loss of the A380 fleet means the loss of a status symbol for the Abu Dhabi-based member of the Middle Eastern "ME3" group of luxurious mega airlines that also includes Qatar Airways and Emirates. The world's largest passenger jet could be found in all three airlines' fleets and Etihad is the first to part ways with the aircraft.

For premium passengers, the loss of the A380 means the loss of its ultra-exclusive cabin known as "The Residence," found solely on the A380 fleet. The three-room suites were veritable flying apartments that cost around $20,000 per flight and came with butler and chauffeur service, high-end champagne, and expensive caviar.

Etihad's A380 decision comes as no surprise as airlines have been eager to part ways with Airbus' largest plane since the pandemic began. Air France abruptly retired its A380 fleet in May 2020 while Lufthansa, British Airways, and Qantas have parked their A380 fleets.

But while the A380 has been a common casualty of the pandemic, the Boeing 777 has been largely spared by the world's airlines. Virgin Australia notably parted ways with its Boeing 777-300ER fleet but only because the airline shifted to domestic operations as Australia closed its borders to the world.

Some of the largest operators of the 777-300ER have continued flights with the aircraft. American Airlines has shifted most of its 777-300ER operations to domestic routes flying between Miami and other hubs like Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York.

The 777 fleet may be acquired by other airlines looking to take advantage of favorable aircraft pricing as a result of the pandemic or a cargo carrier might purchase the jets and convert them into freighters. Israel Aerospace Industries is currently working on converting the first 777-300ER from a passenger jet to a freighter, which is scheduled to be the largest twin-engine cargo plane currently flying.

Etihad is also one of the first customers for the new Boeing 777x, the world's largest twin-engine passenger plane, that will arrive at the airline in the next few years.