
Etihad Airways' first Airbus A321LR to enter commercial service on August 1
The aircraft will initially operate between Abu Dhabi and Phuket, before expanding to serve destinations including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Copenhagen, Milan, Paris, and Zurich.
Etihad Airways' first Airbus A321LR aircraft arrived at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Friday under the flight number EY3210, receiving a spectacular welcome from Etihad employees and key stakeholders who gathered to celebrate this milestone moment.
The arrival of EY3210 supports Etihad's extraordinary growth momentum, with 27 new routes launched or announced this year.
Nine additional A321LR aircraft will arrive throughout 2025, strengthening Abu Dhabi's position as a global aviation hub and supporting the airline's Journey 2030 vision of carrying 38 million passengers annually.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Etihad
8 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Emirati pilot turned entrepreneur aims to build data centres in space
30 July 2025 21:08 A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)An Emirati technology startup is setting its sights far beyond Earth—quite literally—by unveiling a bold plan to build data centres in Space, founded in 2023 by Emirati entrepreneur and former airline captain Shareef Al Romaithi, aims to tackle the climate impact of traditional, energy-hungry data infrastructure by placing data processing and storage facilities in low Earth orbit. The venture signals a pioneering step for the region in blending space exploration with digital sustainability.'Data centres are very energy intensive. They're extremely harmful to the environment. In fact, they emit more carbon than the aviation industry, which is quite alarming,' Al Romaithi told Bloomberg's Joumanna Bercetche during an interview on the 'Horizons: Middle East and Africa' programme.'Going to space and placing data centres there gives us the opportunity to address the exponential growth of data that is being generated, both on Earth as well as in space in a sustainable and secure manner.'Al Romaithi brings an unusual mix of aerospace expertise and academic credentials to the mission. He began his career in 2007 as part of the inaugural batch of Etihad Airways' cadet pilot programme, and later became the airline's first cadet to rise to the rank of professional and academic trajectory took a unique turn when he participated in a 45-day Mars simulation project inside a NASA habitat in Houston, a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering and three master's degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Al Romaithi made history in 2014 by earning a PhD in aviation from the same institution. He was the first Emirati—and only the eighth person globally—to achieve this distinction, according to an Etihad Airways post on its website. Madari Space's mission may sound like science fiction, but Al Romaithi insists the timing is right.'This would not have been possible 15 to 20 years ago, but today with the reduced cost of launch services, the price per kilogram to launch any product or technology into space has reduced dramatically,' he company sees vast potential in processing data directly in orbit. With the number of satellites rapidly increasing, space is becoming a significant source of raw, unprocessed data—expected to reach 3,500 petabytes by 2035.'This data is all raw, unprocessed that must be downstreamed to terrestrial data centres. By placing data centres in space, we have the ability to store and process this data in space, enabling the data owners to make informed decisions in real time,' Al Romaithi is targeting both terrestrial and orbital clients, ranging from governments to corporations managing large cited Estonia's use of a secondary data centre in Luxembourg as a model, 'Should anything happen to their data centres in Estonia, they can revert to their data centres in Luxembourg with no loss of sensitive and critical data. So this can be applied to various countries that view security as an issue—we can store their sensitive and critical data in orbit.'The company is already planning its first mission, scheduled for the third quarter of 2026, in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and the United Nations Office for Outer Space whether the UAE was the right launchpad for such a venture, Al Romaithi responded with confidence. 'Being located in the UAE is quite advantageous for us. We are getting tremendous support from the UAE Space Agency and other stakeholders across the country. This would allow us to advance our technology and reach a maturity level that would allow us to reach commercial operations very soon," he said. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi


Khaleej Times
9 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
New Dubai schools opening in 2025–26: Your admission cheat sheet
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are not just growing — they're reimagining the school experience. From cutting-edge campuses to curriculum innovation, the race to expand capacity and offer diverse learning pathways is in full swing. Fuelled by government vision and rising parental expectations, the surge in new school openings is reshaping the educational landscape. In Dubai alone, more than 16,000 new seats were added in the 2024–25 academic year, pushing private school enrolment past 387,000 students and counting. This momentum is set to continue. As part of the Education 33 (E33) strategy, authorities plan to open at least 100 new private schools by 2033 across both emirates, aiming to add nearly 50,000 school seats. The focus isn't just on growth; it's also about improving access, affordability, and the overall student experience, with future-ready learning at the core. Already, four new schools are confirmed to open in Dubai in 2025 and two more in 2026, with over 20 applications currently under KHDA review. These schools will bring much-needed capacity, especially for primary-aged children, and will be located in key residential hubs such as Dubai Sports City, City of Arabia, Academic City, Emirates Hills, and Jumeirah Park. Whether you're a new resident or simply looking for the right fit for your child, navigating the admissions landscape can be overwhelming. This cheat sheet breaks down everything you need to know about the new schools opening in 2025–26: from curricula and location to tuition fees, helping you make informed choices during this period of rapid expansion. Summary table: New schools opening in 2025–26 Dubai British School Mira to open in August 2025, expanding Taaleem's DBS network Opening: August 2025 Grades: FS1 to Year 6 initially, expanding to Year 13 Curriculum: National Curriculum for England Fees: Dh51,477–Dh58,836 annually Location: Reem and Mira communities Operator: Taaleem Highlights: Inclusive ethos, strong academics, and part of the 'Outstanding'-rated DBS Emirates Hills network Victory Heights Primary School to open new campus in City of Arabia Opening: August 2025 Grades: FS1 to Year 6 Curriculum: British Fees: Dh40,000–Dh57,000 annually Capacity: 850 students Location: City of Arabia, Dubailand Operator: Interstar Advisory Services Highlights: Outstanding KHDA rating, play-based learning, focus on oracy Images: Supplied by Interstar Education (VHPS) Dubai English Speaking School to open new campus in Academic City in 2025 Opening: September 2025 Grades: FS1 to Year 6 Curriculum: National Curriculum for England Fees: Dh51,477–Dh77,217 annually Capacity: 1,250 students (six to seven classes per year group) Location: Academic City, opposite DESSC Operator: Not-for-profit (DESS) Highlights: Capped class sizes (20 in FS, 23 in Years 1–6), forest school, swimming pool, and adventure playground Images: From DESS website GEMS School of Research and Innovation set to become a premium educational institution in Dubai Sports City Opening: TBC (expected 2025) Grades: Initially up to Year 6 Curriculum: English National Curriculum Fees: Starting at Dh152,000; upper years exceed Dh200,000 Location: Dubai Sports City Operator: GEMS Education Highlights: Innovation labs, AI-focused curriculum, Olympic pool, 200-seat basketball arena, fencing, and martial arts dojo Class Size: Max 16 in early years, 20 by Year 6 Incentive: 20% founding discount for FS1–Year 6 Harrow International School Dubai to open in 2026 Opening: 2026 Grades: Early Years to Year 6 (initially) Curriculum: British (Harrow approach) Fees: Dh80,000–Dh100,000 for primary years Location: Along Hessa Street, near Emirates Hills Operator: Taaleem Capacity: Up to 2,000 students Highlights: STEAM labs, Centre for Performing Arts, neuroarchitectural design, values-based leadership programme Ash Mount School set to bring full IB curriculum to Dubai's Mudon in 2026


Khaleej Times
9 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Dubai-UK travel: Emirates flights operating as per usual amid technical glitch
Emirates airline on Wednesday said its flights out of the United Kingdom (UK) are operating as scheduled after a technical glitch affected flights departing from London City, Heathrow and Gatwick airports. A spokesperson of the Dubai-based airline told Khaleej Times that all of Emirates flights 'should be operating as per normal schedule out of the UK". The world's largest international carrier operates multiple flights to the UK airports every day. In addition to Emirates, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways also operates direct flights to UK airports. Many flights were grounded due to the technical glitch on Wednesday evening, reportedly causing chaos at UK airports. 'As a result of a technical issue at NATS Swanwick air traffic control centre, we are limiting the number of aircraft flying in the London control area to ensure safety, which is always our priority. We apologise for any delays this may cause. Our engineers are working hard to resolve the problem as quickly as possible, and we are working closely with airlines to help minimise disruption. At this stage, we cannot say how long it will be before operations are back to normal. Please check with your airline on the status of your flight,' the regulator said in a statement earlier. However, the system was restored late, and NATS said systems are fully operational and air traffic capacity is returning to normal. 'Departures at all airports have resumed, and we are working with affected airlines and airports to clear the backlog safely. We apologise to everyone affected by this issue.' But travellers have been advised to expect delays and disruptions and check with individual airports for advice.