Etihad launches Airbus A321LR service between Abu Dhabi and Phuket

Initially, Etihad will use the A321LR on flights to Phuket until September 30, replacing the Boeing 787-9, which will be reassigned to other routes. According to current schedules, the A321LR is set to return on January 1, 2026. From May 1 next year, narrowbody frequencies are expected to double to two daily flights, increasing Etihad’s total service to Phuket to four daily flights—a record for the airline on this route.

Booking data for the year ending May 2025 shows that about seventy percent of Etihad's Phuket passengers connect from or to European airports. However, European arrivals do not connect with the new A321LR flight departing at 13:50 from Abu Dhabi; instead, this flight caters more directly to Middle Eastern and North African cities such as Bahrain, Cairo, Jeddah, Kuwait, Riyadh, and Tel Aviv. By deploying a smaller-capacity aircraft like the A321LR in place of larger jets such as the Boeing 787-9—especially when not carrying many European passengers—Etihad expects improved load factors and yields.

Between August this year and June next year, Etihad plans to operate its A321LRs from Abu Dhabi to up to fifteen destinations—a reduction from an earlier plan for seventeen destinations but including new cities such as Kraków starting next June. The long-range narrowbody allows Etihad flexibility: it can increase frequencies where needed; introduce limited first-class service in markets without it; extend seasonal routes into year-round operations; and adjust capacity according to demand patterns.

The addition of the A321LR also enables Etihad Airways to expand its network with new destinations like Algiers, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Kraków, Medan, Phnom Penh, and Tunis. As traffic grows in these markets over time or during peak seasons—and if higher-capacity equipment becomes necessary—the single-aisle jets may be redeployed elsewhere within Etihad’s network.

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