…The carrier has agreed to buy 30 of the narrowbody jets.

By Zach Vasile

Emirati flag carrier Etihad on Thursday took delivery of its first Airbus A321LR.

Officials from the two companies marked the handover with a ceremony at Airbus’ facility in Hamburg, Germany.

Etihad has agreed to purchase a total of 30 A321LRs. Nine more are expected to be delivered before the end of the year.

“Today marks an extraordinary moment for Etihad as we welcome an aircraft that changes everything we thought possible on a single-aisle plane,” said Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves.

“The A321LR enables us to serve more destinations with the same premium experience our guests expect across all cabins, perfectly embodying our commitment to delivering luxury at every altitude.”

Etihad’s first Airbus A321LR. (Courtesy of Etihad)

Airline officials said the aircraft delivered this week will enter commercial service in August, operating between Abu Dhabi and Phuket, Thailand.

Additional A321LRs will be used to fly routes to Bangkok, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Paris, Milan, and Zurich, among other destinations.

Etihad’s A321LRs come with premium First Suites, which include a lie-flat bed, sliding privacy door, and 20-inch 4K screen. Previously, First Suites were only available on the carrier’s widebody jets. Behind the First Suites are 14 Business-class seats in a 1-1 configuration and 144 Economy-class seats.

All passengers will have access to high-speed wireless internet provided by Viasat.