High-speed internet, new cabins: By 2030, passengers will see a new Etihad, says operations chief

Hong Kong: Looking ahead, UAE’s national carrier, Etihad Airways, is planning significant investments to improve passenger experience.

From next year, most of the fleet will be retrofitted with high-speed internet, followed by cabin upgrades beginning in 2027, Captain Majed Al Marzouqi, Chief Operations and Guest Officer at Etihad Airways, told Gulf News during the Abu Dhabi – Hong Kong flight launch last week.

“From next year, we are going to retrofit our aircraft with high-speed internet. It is in the pipeline. We are working on improving the cabin experience with the retrofitting programme," he said.

"But that's going to come in 2027, so we are studying, we are reviewing everything that we have, and every touch points we have today, to improve the guest experience,” Captain Al Marzouqi added.

The airline has already introduced meet-and-assist services and chauffeur services for first-class passengers and plans to renovate existing lounges both at Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport and across its global network.

“We have introduced meet and assist the chauffeur services for the first class. And then obviously, we are uplifting all the lounge experiences that we have. And we will be renovating some of the existing lounges that we have,” he added. "I promise you, by 2030 you will see a new Etihad,” Captain Al Marzouqi said.

With another 16 route launches planned for next year and continued focus on the Asia-Pacific region, Etihad's expansion suggests the carrier is positioning itself as a major connector between Asian markets and destinations beyond Abu Dhabi.

Etihad Airways is operating four daily flights to Bangkok as part of an aggressive expansion across Asia-Pacific, with the airline launching more than 15 new destinations in the region during 2025.

Captain Al Marzouqi revealed the scale of the carrier's Asian operations, which also includes four daily flights to Phuket and double-daily services to several other cities.

"Four wide-body aircraft to Bangkok. We have four flights to Phuket," Captain Al Marzouqi said. "When you look into our footprint, we are covering all the major cities in Asia."

The Abu Dhabi-based carrier has launched Hong Kong, Medan, Krabi, Chiang Mai and Hanoi this year, adding to existing services to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bali and Manila. The expansion forms part of a plan to introduce 31 new routes by next year as Etihad targets 30 million passengers annually by 2028, up from 20 million carried in the past 12 months.

The airline received 22 new aircraft in 2025, including 10 A321LRs, with another 10 narrow-body aircraft scheduled for delivery next year. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner serves as the backbone of the fleet for long-haul Asian operations.

Hong Kong, which Etihad previously served before suspending the route, offers synergies with Abu Dhabi. "Hong Kong is a vibrant city. It is a place where they have a fantastic infrastructure. It's a financial hub of the region, and it's a place for culture and tourism as well," Captain Al Marzouqi said, noting that both cities – Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong – will soon have Disneyland as a major attraction.

The airline also offers cargo capacity on Asian routes, with Etihad Cargo having operated in Hong Kong since 2010. The 787's belly hold capacity adds significant freight capability to passenger services.

Initial response to the new Asian destinations has been positive, with near-full flights on routes like Hong Kong since resumption of service.

"It is a trend that we see. It's a very positive trend as well," Captain Al Marzouqi said of the load factors.

The airline's strategy balances point-to-point traffic with transit passengers, leveraging Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport infrastructure for quick connections between Asia and Europe.

Captain Al Marzouqi illustrated the connectivity advantage for business travellers: "Imagine a businessman in Hong Kong. He can leave Hong Kong at seven o'clock in the evening, land by midnight in Abu Dhabi, and then, within one hour, connect to the next flight and land at six o'clock in the morning in London, finish his business meetings and take the evening flight from London to Abu Dhabi and back in Hong Kong. So within two days, he can do business in two major cities."

A key enabler of Etihad's Asian expansion has been the Airbus A321LR narrow-body aircraft, which Captain Al Marzouqi described as "a game changer for us."

Since its introduction in July, the aircraft has generated unexpectedly positive customer feedback, prompting the airline to scrutinise its own data.

The A321LR features a premium configuration with two first-class seats, 14 business-class seats and 144 economy seats, bringing wide-body luxury to routes that don't require larger aircraft capacity.

"It covers the markets where a wide body cannot reach. But at the same time, it covers the market for us where we don't need a wide body there because of the capacity," Captain Al Marzouqi explained.

"We actually are offering a luxury service of Etihad that is known on the wide body in a narrow body. And you don't have a lot of airlines doing that," Captain Al Marzouqi said.

Despite the rapid expansion, Captain Al Marzouqi expressed confidence in Etihad's ability to manage operational challenges.

"The more you grow, the more challenges you're going to face. But we are a very lean organisation. We have learned from our past as well, and we have a very efficient airline," he said.

He attributed operational success to agility in decision-making and a willingness to change course quickly when needed. "We make quick decisions, and we don't shy away to pivot from something that's not working immediately. And this is the beauty of it, he added.