Etihad Airways’ A321LR redefines the single-aisle experience

(Image credit: Courtesy of Etihad Airways)

The future of narrow-body flight just shifted up a gear. Etihad Airways has unveiled the world’s first single-aisle jet with a fully fledged first-class cabin and lie-flat business pods: the new Airbus A321LR. The aircraft is the opening act in the carrier’s Journey 2030 blueprint: an ambitious expansion plan to double its fleet and triple passenger numbers.

Etihad Airways introduces Airbus A321LR aircraft

The first A321LR entered service in August 2025 (flying from Abu Dhabi to Phuket), with the ten more arriving by year’s end. Designed to ‘transform short and medium-haul travel,’ as the airline describes it, routes out of Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport in the roll-out include Algiers, Athens, Bangkok, Chennai, Chiang Mai, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Kolkata, Krabi, Medan, Milan, Paris, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Riyadh, Tunis, and Zurich.

‘We’ve taken the luxury experience which we are famed for on our widebody fleet and adapted it to offer guests the same experience in a single-aisle aircraft,’ comments Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways.

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The First Suites are the headline act: two private, enclosed spaces with sliding doors, lie-flat beds, companion seating, 20-inch 4K displays, Bluetooth pairing and wireless charging. The experience extends on the ground with concierge planning, chauffeur service, lounge access, boarding escort and porter-assisted arrivals.

Business Class, meanwhile, adopts a 1-1 herringbone layout, with 14 seats that convert into 78-inch beds. Each pod offers 17.3-inch 4K screens, Bluetooth connectivity, wireless charging and generous storage. Economy, hardly an afterthought, lines the cabin with 144 seats measuring 18.4 inches across (among the widest in its class) plus 13.3-inch 4K touchscreens, ergonomic recline and USB charging.

All cabins are equipped with Viasat’s next-gen system, capable of speeds up to 1Gbps, offering streaming, gaming, social media and live TV gate-to-gate.

etihad.com

Sofia de la Cruz is the Travel Editor at Wallpaper*. A self-declared flâneuse, she feels most inspired when taking the role of a cultural observer – chronicling the essence of cities and remote corners through their nuances, rituals, and people. Her work lives at the intersection of art, design, and culture, often shaped by conversations with the photographers who capture these worlds through their lens.