Summary
- Etihad Airways CEO said that he was frustrated with aircraft delivery delays from Airbus and Boeing.
- Still, he was completely satisfied with the aircraft performance, including the newly delivered Boeing 787s.
- The airline ended 2023 by strengthening its profit in comparison with 2022.
Antonoaldo Neves, the chief executive officer (CEO), has expressed frustration with Airbus and Boeing, as each manufacturers have pushed back their scheduled aircraft deliveries to the airline. Nevertheless, Neves was still content with each plane makers’ aircraft performance, including the Boeing 787.
Eight-month delays for Boeing 787s
Chatting with the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based The National, the airline’s CEO remarked that Etihad Airways recently took delivery of three Boeing 787-9 aircraft last month, namely A6-BNG, A6-BNF, and A6-BNE, which Boeing delivered on February 16 and the 2 latter aircraft on February 21, respectively. The three aircraft were eight months late.
All three aircraft operated their first flights in 2023. ch-aviation data showed that A6-BNG, A6-BNF, and A6-BNE flew for the primary time on November 8, March 11, and August 25, 2023, several months before they were finally delivered to Etihad Airways.
Nevertheless, Neves emphasized that the 787s are performing thoroughly, however the airline was still unhappy with the delays, which have continued mounting. Based on the manager, Airbus can be having issues delivering aircraft to Etihad Airways on time. The carrier’s CEO stated that the airline’s biggest concern is aircraft availability.
![aN Etihad Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on an airport apron.](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/b787_dsc6903-min.jpg)
3 Is The Lucky Number: Etihad Airways Received 3 Latest Boeing 787s This Week
The Gulf carrier now has 100 aircraft.
Barely growing fleet
Based on ch-aviation, the airline has only taken delivery of seven aircraft up to now 4 years. In 2020, Etihad Airways grew its fleet by three aircraft, namely one Airbus A350-1000 and two Boeing 787-10s, and after not taking delivery of any jets between 2021 and 2022, took its first post-pandemic aircraft, a 787-10, in 2023. As mentioned above, Boeing delivered three 787-9s in February.
Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock
Because of this, 2024 was the one yr since 2019 that Etihad Airways’ fleet grew, with the airline ending 2019 with 127 aircraft. Now, the carrier operates 99 aircraft, nine of that are inactive. Out of the nine stored aircraft, six are Airbus A380s.
![Etihad A380 Heathrow](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/etihad-a380-heathrow-3-2.jpg)
A380 Return: The Fleet Of Etihad Airways In 2024
The Middle Eastern legacy carrier has big plans for the superjumbo this yr.
Strengthening profitability
On the identical day as Neves spoke with the local media outlet, Etihad Airways announced its financial results. The airline said that it ended 2023 with revenues of AED20.2 billion ($5.4 billion) and operating results of AED1.4 billion ($381.1 million), leading to a net profit of AED525 million ($142.9 million).
Speaking concerning the results, the CEO of the airline said that despite the strong leads to 2023, Etihad Airways’ goal for the near-term future is to strengthen its business further because it continues with its growth strategy, pursuing further margin improvement opportunities.
Photo: First Class Photography | Shutterstock
The airline has 95 aircraft on order, split between 20 Airbus A321neo, 15 A350-1000, seven A350F, eight 777-8, 17 777-9, eight 787-9, and 20 787-10s. Similarly to Neves, Tim Clark, the President of Emirates, has expressed concerns about Boeing’s ability to deliver aircraft on time. Clark specifically said that Emirates could take delivery of its first 777X aircraft only in 2026.
![Emirates Boeing 777X render](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/emirates-boeing-777x-render.jpg)
Emirates CEO Warns Boeing Could Delay 777X Deliveries To 2026
This is able to mean that Boeing would deliver the primary 777X six years after the initially planned delivery date.