Is this the end for Etihad’s Airbus A380 and its luxe The Residence suite? Akbar Al Baker’s Qatar Airways are also retiring it, while Emirates retains the world’s largest fleet

Mar 19 , 2021

The A380 is beginning to disappear from our skies after a relatively short life, its prospects damaged by changing demands from the world’s carriers and further hurt by the pandemic. Photo: Etihad Airways

A mini flying apartment, The Residence features Savoy Hotel-trained butlers, chefs and private showers, often costing US$20,000 a trip

But travel blogger Sam Huang paid only 60,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles and US$108 for a flight from Abu Dhabi to Sydney in 2016

Etihad Airways is the latest airline that’s preparing to say goodbye to the world’s largest passenger jet.

Tony Douglas, CEO of Etihad Aviation Group, said in an interview with The National that the airline’s Airbus A380s may soon become a casualty of the pandemic.

“We have now taken the strategic decision to park the A380s – I’m sure it’s very likely that we won’t see them operating with Etihad again,” Douglas told the publication.

Inside the Airbus A380. Photo: Etihad Airways

The move is the latest nail in the coffin for the dying aircraft programme and would mean the end of Etihad’s ultra-exclusive cabin, known as The Residence, found only on the A380s. A step above even first class, The Residence is among the pinnacles of luxury travel, offering fliers multi-room flats in the skies. Ticket prices regularly exceeded US$20,000 for a one-way journey, and securing a seat was a bucket-list item for aviation enthusiasts.

Entrepreneurial frequent fliers could also find themselves in the cabin without paying the exorbitant costs. Travel blogger Sam Huang, for example, paid only 60,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles and US$108 for a US$23,000 flight in the cabin from Abu Dhabi, UAE to Sydney, Australia in 2016.

A ticket for The Residence granted access to the most exclusive areas of the airport including secret areas of Etihad’s newest lounges complete with full bars, sit-down dining and showers, followed by chauffeur service to the departure gate.

The 125 sq ft area of The Residence includes a “living room” partitioned off from the first-class aisle, leather seating, a chilled minibar and a 80cm flat-screen TV. Shown is a mock-up suite at a training facility in Abu Dhabi for national carrier Etihad. Photo: AP

The fully-enclosed suites, more comparable to a New York City studio flat than first class on any US carrier, come complete with a sofa, recliner chair, wardrobe, minibar and full vanity mirror. Connected to the suite are a private bedroom and en suite bathroom with its own shower, all on the upper level of the Airbus A380.