Etihad Airways is scheduled to receive the first of its Boeing 777X aircraft in 2031 and is unaffected by the programme's seven-year delay, chief executive Antonoaldo Neves told The National on Thursday.
Boeing on Wednesday announced further delays to the debut of 777-9 wide-body, beyond the scheduled delivery in 2026, due to a prolonged certification process. It now means the programme is seven years behind the original scheduled delivery of 2020, which was set in 2013.
In May, Etihad confirmed an order of 28 Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft, aligning its fleet with its expanding global route network.
Industry supply chain bottlenecks, which worsened after the pandemic, are returning to pre-Covid levels, Mr Neves told the Skift Global Forum East event in Abu Dhabi. "It's getting better," he said. "It's still a challenge but I think now we are at a similar level that we were in 2019."
The airline is to receive deliveries of 10 of the Airbus A321 long-range narrow-bodies it was scheduled to get this year. "We told the world that we would get 10 A321 LRs this year and we're getting them – today actually we just got one more," Mr Neves added.
Overall, aircraft deliveries from manufacturers are a "mixed bag" because they are "a little bit delayed, but it's not a situation where I would say it's further deteriorating, I think it's further improving".
There are planes available in the secondary market, particularly for narrow-body aircraft, which has helped airlines to navigate supply chain challenges, he said. "The wide-body [market] is tighter, but it's not going to compromise our opportunity to capture the demand that's coming."
The challenge is that some aircraft have not yet been certified and "it's a big problem, but we don't face that problem", Mr Neves said, without identifying specific models.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline, which takes delivery of an average of 20 planes a year, recorded 90 per cent load factor during the third quarter of 2025 because "our prices are ultra-competitive", Mr Neves told the forum. Load factor is a measure of how effectively an airline fills seats.
Asked about the potential of an Etihad listing, Mr Neves said the matter is for the airline's government shareholder to decide. But he shared the example of Ryanair, which recently bought back some of its shares, noting that it is a "good company" in terms of profitability. "Etihad is paying dividends. So the key question is: why IPO?".
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bt Auckland Aces 80 all out in 16 overs
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: Tomb Raider
Dir: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Walter Goggins
two stars
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C108hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C340Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%20(front%20axle)%3B%20two-speed%20transmission%20(rear%20axle)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh928%2C400%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOrders%20open%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
