Etihad Airways will add a second daily Airbus A380 flight to Sydney from the end of the October, but at the same time will downgauge capacity on both its twice-daily Melbourne flights.
Under its northern hemisphere winter schedule, set to take effect from October 29, Etihad will upgauge the current EY450/EY451 Abu Dhabi-Sydney-Abu Dhabi rotation from the 328-seat 777-300ER to the 496-seat A380.
“Sydney is one of our busiest and best performing long-haul routes where we have experienced increased demand, particularly in our premium cabins, since the launch 10 years ago,” Etihad Airways chief executive officer Peter Baumgartner said in a statement.
But at the same time, the Routes Online website reports that the current EY460/461 Abu Dhabi-Melbourne-Abu Dhabi A380 flights will be operated by the 777-300ER from October 29, while from the same date the current EY462/463 rotation will see two-class, 299-seat 787-9s replacing the 777-300ER.
Eithad first deployed the A380 on the Melbourne route from June last year.
Virgin Australia codeshares on Eithad’s flights to Abu Dhabi and beyond to points in Europe.
Etihad Abu Dhabi-Sydney schedule, effective October 29
| Flight No. | Origin | Departs | Destination | Arrives | Frequency | Aircraft |
| EY450 | Abu Dhabi | 09:25 | Sydney | 06:15 +1 | Daily | A380 |
| EY451 | Sydney | 16:20 | Abu Dhabi | 23:55 | Daily | A380 |
| EY454 | Abu Dhabi | 22:15 | Sydney | 19:15 +1 | Daily | A380 |
| EY455 | Sydney | 21:50 | Abu Dhabi | 05:40 +1 | Daily | A380 |
