New York JFK will be the first US gateway to welcome Etihad Airways’ A380 superjumbos in December 2015.
The planes, which feature Etihad’s groundbreaking three-room ‘The Residence’ suite, will begin service December 1 from Abu Dhabi.
The A380 can accommodate 498 passengers, with 417 in economy, 70 business class seats, nine in first class and up to two in The Residence apartment.
The private three-room suite was unveiled last May and measures 125 square feet with a private living room, en-suite shower room, bedroom with a double bed, and a dedicated butler service.
It also features a large 32" LCD TV in the living room and a smaller monitor in the bedroom.
The Residence is for single or double occupancy and comes with a price tag of about US$64.000 roundtrip.
Etihad Airways will continue double daily service between JFK and Abu Dhabi.
The deployment of the A380 will enable the carrier to match capacity with an increased demand, it said, citing load factors of more than 80% on the route.
"The United States is a strategically important part of Etihad Airways’ growing global network and as a result of increased demand from our guests traveling between New York and Abu Dhabi — and onto the world, we are pleased to upgrade one of our two daily flights to an A380," said CEO James Hogan.
New York marks the first US destination where we will introduce our industry-leading A380 aircraft products and experience."
