Etihad's A380 arrives in New York

The arrival marks the U.S. debut of Etihad’s A380 service, which includes the luxurious three-room suite 'The Residence’ and on-board lounge ‘The Lobby’. The A380 has replaced a B777-300ER on the route, whilst the airline’s other daily flight between New York and Abu Dhabi continues to be served with a B777.

Etihad's inaugural A380 flight arrives at JFK on Monday "The revolutionary products found on board Etihad Airways' fleet of A380s completely reimagine commercial aviation standards and we are proud to bring them to our guests travelling between the U.S. to Abu Dhabi and beyond," said James Hogan, Etihad Airways' President and Chief Executive Offer.

Etihad's inaugural A380 flight arrives at JFK on Monday "The arrival of our A380 service at JFK International Airport is an important milestone for Etihad Airways as we respond to increased demand from our guests traveling between New York and Abu Dhabi and it represents the significant growth our airline has undergone in just 12 years of operation. Etihad Airways has stayed ahead of the competition by providing our guests with the luxury, comfort, and hospitality they expect and deserve when they fly with us, and by remaining focused on continuing to transform the air travel experience across all cabins of service,” he continued. The outgoing A380 service will operate with flight number EY103, departing Abu Dhabi at 3.20 and landing at JFK at 9.10. The return, EY102, will depart from New York at 14.30, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 12:15 the next day.

Etihad’s ‘The Residence’ Passengers in ‘The Residence’, available for $32,000 (£21,500) one way between New York and Abu Dhabi, can also make use of a dedicated area in Etihad’s newly-opened First and Business Class Lounge at JFK. As well as the Residence, Etihad’s A380 offers nine First Apartments, 70 Business Studios and 417 economy class seats. The First Apartments offer “private living spaces”, which consist of a reclining leather lounge chair and ottoman that opens up to become a separate 80.5 inch fully-flat bed. The 70 Business Studios are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, and all offer direct aisle access and a fully flat bed of up to 80.5 inches.

The flight crew of Etihad's inaugural A380 to JFK Etihad Airways' fleet of A380s currently serve London's Heathrow, Sydney and now New York's JFK, with service to Mumbai and Melbourne scheduled to begin May 1, 2016 and June 1, 2016, respectively.