Summary Etihad's first 787 flight will land in Duesseldorf in Germany on February 1 next year.
ABU DHABI (AFP) - The first flight of Etihad Airways long-awaited Airbus A380 superjumbo will take place later in December, the Abu Dhabi carrier said Thursday, also announcing its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner route.
The rapidly growing airline said it had nine more A380s and 71 additional 787s on order, describing the delivery of the first two planes in its updated fleet as "momentous".
The A380 will enter commercial service on December 27 in its maiden flight to London Heathrow, while Etihad s first 787 flight will land in Duesseldorf in Germany on February 1 next year.
Etihad, which posted a 30 percent year-on-year increase in passenger numbers between July and September, Dubai-based Emirates -- owner of 56 A380s -- and Qatar Airways have seized a sizable share of transcontinental travel, turning their Gulf cities into major transit hubs.
