Etihad Airways Readies the Return of its A380

This week, Eithad Airways’ engineering field, Etihad Engineering, has completed the first re-entry maintenance for its A380s.

This article will cover the details surrounding the return of Etihad’s Airbus A380s and the maintenance that has been carried out by Etihad Engineering.

Etihad: Return of the A380

Etihad Engineering is one of the worlds leading aviation MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) solutions providers, and has this week completed the first six-year heavy maintenance check to facilitate the return of Etihad Airways’ Airbus A380s.

The operation was carried out in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates at Etihad Engineering’s MRO facility whereby the team carried out the removal, inspection and installation of the full interior of the A380, which will now feature The Residence, Nine First Apartments, 70 Business Studios all on the upper deck of the aircraft, as well as 405 Economy Smart Seats on the lower deck.

Not only did the team carry out a full interior inspection and renewal, but they also carried out a comprehensive check on the airframe itself. This work included the following –

Rear spar modifications.
Frame modifications.
Removal, inspection and installation of all four Rolls Royce Trent engines.
Inspection and servicing of a vast range of sophisticated components at their on-site workshops.

Executive Comments

Commenting on the major milestone for the Etihad Engineering teams, their Senior Vice President of Airframe Services, Haytham Nasir, has said, “The Etihad Engineering team has built formidable experience and expertise over the years on the A380 platform, having carried out the world’s first 12-year check on an A380 as well as complex structural modifications, landing gear changes, cabin refurbishment and numerous heavy maintenance programmes for customers from Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and the Far East.”

Etihad’s Vice President of Commercial, David Doherty, also adds, “The Etihad Airways A380 fleet features one of the most luxurious, award-winning guest experiences and we are as excited as the airline in bringing the aircraft back to the skies this summer.”

“We have delivered the first A380 of the Etihad Airways re-entry into service programme and work has begun on the next input in the nose-to-tail project at our facility.”