Etihad Airways is increasing capacity between Melbourne and Abu Dhabi by introducing a Boeing 777-300ER to the route.

The larger aircraft, to start operating from 1 December 2013, will offer 328 seats in a three-class configuration - 36 more than the Airbus A340-600 which is currently flying the Melbourne-Abu Dhabi sector.

“Etihad Airways’ Melbourne–Abu Dhabi flights are some of the strongest performers in our network – this year load factors between the two cities have averaged more than 80%,” said Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan. “Switching to the Boeing 777 gives us 12% more seats overall and 25% more in business class. This will enable us to increase our share of the corporate and leisure travel market between Australia and Abu Dhabi and beyond to our worldwide network.”

The introduction of a larger aircraft also presents a growth opportunity for the airline’s cargo division, Etihad Cargo.

“The Boeing 777 offers a bellyhold cargo capacity of around 14-16 tonnes which allows us to capitalise on Australia’s strong trading relationship with the United Arab Emirates,” Mr Hogan said. “The United Arab Emirates is Australia’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and, last year, two-way merchandise trade between Australia and the UAE was worth around $5.13 billion.”

The three-class Boeing 777-300ER has eight seats in Diamond First Class, 40 in Pearl Business Class, and 280 in Coral Economy Class.

Etihad Airways commenced flights between Melbourne and Abu Dhabi in 2009.

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