Etihad Airways Will Soon Fly its Flagship Airbus A350-1000 to Sydney, Here's What it's Like Onboard
By Ben McKimm - News
Published: 2 June 2025
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Readtime: 5 min
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Etihad A350-1000 begins Sydney route 1 October 2025.
Becomes exclusive daily service from 31 January 2026.
Business Class includes sliding door, flat bed, wireless charging, 18.5' screen.
Overall seat capacity grows 10%, premium seats increase 20%.
Competes with Qatar A350 and Turkish Airlines' upcoming Istanbul route.
Etihad Airways will fly its flagship latest-generation Airbus A350-1000 from Abu Dhabi to Sydney, and back from 1 October 2025 before it becomes an exclusive service from 31 January 2026. That means travellers will have access to one of the best business class services in the world from right here in Australia, an experiene that includes an 18.5-inch TV screen, built-in wireless charging dock, forward facing with direct aisle access, and seat that converts into a fully flat bed of 79 inches (200 cm) in length.
The news comes after Turkish Airlines announced its non-stop Sydney to Istanbul service in December last year—set to begin in late 2026 on board a long-range version of the same Airbus A350-1000.
Compared to Etihads Abu Dhabi service, the Turkish Airlines Sydney to Istanbul non-stop flight will open the door to more than 340 destinations across 130 countries on a one-stop itinerary, and considering our recent expeirence on-board a Turkish Airlines A350 from Istanbul to Jakarta, it's something we're looking forward to! Now, let's take a closer look at what you'll get on-board the Etihad Airways A350-1000 from Sydney to Abu Dhabi.
Etihad Airways A350-1000 | Image: Supplied / Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways was ranked 9th on airlineratings.com's 2025 list and was only beaten by Korean Air, Qatar, Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Japan Airlines, and Qantas. However, these rankings don't usually tell you the full story, as each route is different, with some airlines using older airplanes our of Australia, including Etihad Airways who was previously using the Boeing 777-300 ER before the current Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
We're yet to get on-board Etihad Airways out of Australia, but these are the best carriers we've experienced from Sydney:
Qatar Airways
Emirates
Singapore Airlines
Qantas
Cathay Pacific Airways
Delta
Traditionally, airlines that aren't part of a major airline alliance like oneworld, Star Alliance, or SkyTeam struggle to attract loyal customers in Australia. However, Etihad's A350-1000 has one trick up its sleeve—it's one of two planes flying to the Middle East that offers a sliding door in Business Class. It will compete directly with Qatar Airways' Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 Qsuite out of Sydney.
'We are delighted to bring more premium travel options to Australia with the arrival of our A350 on this important route,' said Arik De, Etihad's Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer. 'When the schedule is fully deployed early next year, we will have grown overall seat availability by ten per cent, and premium seat count by over 20 per cent.'
'We have increased our flight frequencies to Sydney this year, offering guests greater flexibility and enhanced connectivity across our expanding global network. This growth provides more seamless travel options to key destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and also welcomes more visitors to our home in Abu Dhabi, where they can enjoy our exclusive stopover program, featuring one or two-night complimentary stays at a premium hotel.'
Etihad Airways A350-1000 | Image: Supplied / Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways A350-1000 | Image: Supplied / Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways A350-1000 | Image: Supplied / Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways A350-1000 | Image: Supplied / Etihad Airways
The Etihad Airways A350-1000 service from Sydney to Abu Dhabi will start as a four time weekly service (Mon, Weds, Fri, Sat) from 1 October 2025 leaving at 21:30 pm while the Boeing 787-9 will service every other time slot from (Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun) at 15:40 pm and Saturdays at 21:30 pm.
The Airbus A350-1000 service will then replace the Boeing 787-9 service from from 31 January 2026 with the following time slots:
EY450 Route: Abu Dhabi to Sydney Departure: 09:40 Arrival: 06:10 (+1 day) Days: Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun
EY451 Route: Sydney to Abu Dhabi Departure: 16:20 Arrival: 23:55 Days: Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun
EY454 Route: Abu Dhabi to Sydney Departure: 21:55 Arrival: 18:35 (+1 day) Days: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun
EY455 Route: Sydney to Abu Dhabi Departure: 21:30 Arrival: 05:00 (+1 day) Days: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun
Once it's fully deployed early next year, Etihad will have grown overall seat availability by 10% and premium seat count by over 20%.
Business Class will account 44 Business Studios, and each has a sliding door, forward facing seat with direct aisle access, converts into a fully flat bed of 79 inches in length, Noise-cancelling headphones or Bluetooth headphone pairing, 18.5-inch TV screen, and built-in wireless charging dock.
While business class onboard the new Etihad Airways A350-1000 from Sydney will be the flagship experience, there's also 327 Economy Smart Seats that feature the brands innovative recline feature alongside a 13-inch touch screen and Bluetooth headset pairing.
Like other airlines, Etihad offers complimentary Chat packages on Wi-Fi, but you can also opt for full internet connectivity throughout the flight from Sydney to your chosen destination.
More information about the new route can be found at the brands website, linked below.
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