Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is introducing Economy Space, a new seating option across its wide-body fleet.
The new seating option will offer more legroom but is not being announced as a ‘Premium Economy’ product.
The airline is introducing the extra legroom seats, which feature an increased seat pitch of up to 36 inches, on its entire widebody fleet of Airbus A380s, Boeing 777s and Boeing 787s.
10 Etihad Airbus A380s will have Economy Space seats by December 2018. The redesign increases the number of extra legroom seats in Economy from 20 to 80 on this aircraft type.
By the end of 2019, Etihad will have also added additional Economy Space seats to 12 Boeing 777s and 21 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
It means the total number of extra legroom seats is increasing by 560 per cent.
Etihad hasn’t yet given details of how many seats will be on the 777s and 787s and how the new Economy Space seats will impact on the number of seats in other cabins.
Jamal Ahmed Al Awadhi, Etihad Airways Head of Guest Experience:
“We recognise that no two travellers are alike, and today’s customers demand more choice and personalisation during their travels.
In response to the popularity and demand for extra legroom seats, we have reconfigured our Economy cabin to allow travellers to enhance their overall travel experience.”
While many airlines have been squeezing more seats into economy class, we continue to focus on providing our guests with exceptional products and services that meet and exceed the demands and budgets of different types of travellers.”
Irrespective of which seating option is selected, passengers will continue to receive Etihad’s complimentary core dining service and inflight entertainment.
