ETIHAD: New Business Class suites to hit Sydney and Melbourne

As previewed back in May 2025, Etihad Airways is planning to introduce its new Business Class Suites on flights between Sydney & Melbourne and Abu Dhabi. The airline will gradually introduce its latest-generation aircraft on key Australian routes starting in July 2025.These new aircraft feature a Business Class with private suites and sliding doors. The full rollout is expected to be complete by early 2026.

Timeline for Etihad’s Business Suites arrival in Australia

From 30 July 2025, Etihad will upgrade its Sydney–Abu Dhabi service (EY451/450). Those older Boeing 777 will be off the route, replaced by Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliners. These come equipped with Etihad’s second-generation Business Class Suites. This move is the beginning of a bigger transformation of Etihad’s Australian services.

Starting 1 October 2025, four of the airline’s ten weekly Sydney flights will be operated by the flagship Airbus A350‑1000, offering more Business Class Suites per flight.

By the end of January 2026, the full schedule of ten weekly Sydney flights will be operated exclusively by the A350‑1000s. That means Sydney will get a consistent, upgraded product on every Sydney-Abu Dhabi flight.

Melbourne will also get a cabin refresh. Dreamliner services between Melbourne and Abu Dhabi continue until 1 February 2026. From then on, flights will move to the refreshed Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fitted with 32 of the new Business Class Suites.

Etihad’s Business Class Suite features

Etihad’s new Business Class Suites come with sliding privacy doors, making the seat fully enclosed. The seats become 79-inch lie-flat beds, on recline.

For tech, the suites are fitted with 17.3-inch 4K entertainment screens, Bluetooth audio, wireless charging, and USB-C power outlets. High-speed Wi-Fi is available with free messaging and access to live TV. This is a big improvement on the outdated ‘Pearl’ Business Class cabins still available on Etihad’s Boeing 777 fleet. Fortunately, those birds will be completely phased out on Australian routes.

The suite design is also designed to minimise foot traffic through the cabin, providing passengers with a greater sense of personal space.

Benefits for passengers

The new cabins will increase overall premium seat capacity on Etihad on flights to and from Australia by over 20%. The ten weekly flights between Sydney and Abu Dhabi, now enhanced with the A350’s more spacious layout, offer more options for business and premium leisure travellers.

Melbourne passengers don’t get the A350’s, but they do get the new cabins on the Dreamliners with Business Suites from February 2026. The Dreamliners have fewer suites than the A350, but they still are a dramatic improvement over the previous cabin configurations.

With this change, Etihad will provide greater consistency across the network servicing Australia. By early 2026, every Etihad flight between Australia and Abu Dhabi will feature the airline’s latest Business Class product. This means Business Class passengers will enjoy the same experience regardless of flight or city.

2PAXfly Takeaway

This is the way it should be. No tall passengers are avgeeks who note down the nature of every cabin on every different aircraft on the fleet, and check what they will be getting when they book a flight. Most travellers expect to receive the best product that the airline offers in the class chosen. They expect consistency.

Unfortunately, for most airlines, consistency is not a given. Good on Etihad for moving to a customer expectation-filling consistency on their Sydney and Melbourne services. Other airlines take note. I’m looking at you, Emirates.

Wherever you’re heading, be it Europe, the Middle East, or Africa, Etihad is positioning itself as a contender for providing the best business class cabins between Australia and the northern hemisphere.