Etihad Airways has just announced its newest Airbus A380 destination, and it’s an airport to which the airline has never before flown the whale jet on a regularly scheduled basis…
Etihad A380 will fly from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok
At the start of the pandemic, Etihad Airways grounded its Airbus A380 fleet, with plans to likely retire the aircraft permanently. Fortunately the airline had a change of heart, and as of the summer of 2023, the Abu Dhabi-based airline brought back the super jumbo.
Etihad had announced that its plan was to fly the A380 exclusively between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and London (LHR), with no firm plans to fly the jet to any other destination, as the airline intended to bring back just four A380s.
That plan evolved, and as of April 2024, the A380 resumed flights to New York (JFK), then as of November 2024, the A380 returned to Paris (CDG), then as of February 2025, the A380 flew to Singapore (SIN) for the first time, then as of June 2025, the A380 flew to Toronto (YYZ) for the first time (replacing New York flights), and then as of June 2026, the A380 will fly to Tokyo Narita (NRT) for the first time.
As Etihad continues to reactivate its fleet, it has just announced its newest A380 destination. As of October 25, 2026, Etihad will start flying the A380 between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Bangkok (BKK). This will apply to one of the carrier’s daily flights, which operates with the following schedule:
EY402 Abu Dhabi to Bangkok departing 9:20PM arriving 6:35AM (+1 day)
EY403 Bangkok to Abu Dhabi departing 8:30AM arriving 12:20PM
The 3,089-mile flight is blocked at 6hr15min eastbound and 6hr50min westbound. This Bangkok flight is currently operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, so this represents a nice improvement in terms of passenger experience, along with a capacity upgrade.
What the Etihad A380 means for passengers
Etihad’s Airbus A380s are some pretty special jets, and they’ve offered quite a halo effect for the airline. Etihad’s A380s are configured with a total of 485 seats.
When the A380 flies to Bangkok, you can expect that Etihad will introduce The Residence on this route, which is a private three room suite located at the front of the first class cabin. This is the most exclusive product available in commercial aviation.
Pre-pandemic, this experience cost tens of thousands of dollars. However, Etihad is now handling this differently than back then. The airline is now selling upgrades to this for first class passengers who are ticketed through Etihad. The cost to upgrade to The Residence is typically $1,500-3,500, depending on the route.
We’re also seeing the introduction of the Etihad First Class Apartments on the Bangkok route, as there are nine of those on the plane. This is one of the most impressive first class hard products out there, as there’s just a single aisle in the center of the cabin, and one suite on each side. This is a much better first class product than you’ll find on Etihad’s 787s. Etihad also has a stellar soft product nowadays, making for a great experience.
There are then 70 business class seats, which are the Etihad Business Studios, the same product you’ll find on the 787. This is a solid business class product, but not as good as Etihad’s new A350 business class, or the carrier’s new 787-9 business class.
Lastly, there are 405 economy class seats, including 80 with extra legroom. This takes up the entire lower deck, as seats are in a 3-4-3 configuration.
Bottom line
As of October 25, 2026, Etihad will start flying the Airbus A380 between Abu Dhabi and Bangkok. This is made possible by Etihad reactivating its ninth Airbus A380, as the airline continues to bring back these planes. I’m always happy to see more A380s flying, so this is great news, as I see it!
What do you make of Etihad launching A380 flights to Bangkok?