Etihad moves idled A350 plane to Abu Dhabi hub from storage

Etihad Airways moved the first of its five Airbus SE A350 planes to its hub in Abu Dhabi almost two years after the European plane manufacturer started delivering the aircraft.

“The introduction date of the aircraft’s entry into service is yet to be determined as part of the airline’s broader strategy planning,” the Gulf carrier said in response to questions from Bloomberg News, as its network remains under review. Etihad’s chief executive officer has previously said the airline is looking to operate up to 12 A350s.

State-owned Etihad once sought to go toe-to-toe with Qatar Airways Ltd. and Dubai-based Emirates in linking every corner of the planet. Yet even before the health crisis, Etihad had made some of the deepest fleet cuts in the industry as it tried to rein in losses and refocus the network on the needs of Abu Dhabi.

The company has an order for 20 Airbus A350 planes, down from 62 originally, of which five were delivered and standing idle in Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, according to the planespotter website.