Etihad to triple Paris flights July 1

Etihad Airways said on May 19 that it will increase service between Abu Dhabi and Paris Charles de Gaulle to three flights a day from July 1, 2026, adding a second daily Airbus A380 on the route. The Abu Dhabi carrier said the revised schedule will pair two A380 rotations with a third daily Boeing 787-9 service. (etihad.com) The change will run from July 1 through Oct. 24, according to Etihad’s published summer schedule. Paris will become one of the few cities in Etihad’s network to receive twice-daily A380 service. ### What exactly is changing on the Abu Dhabi-Paris route? Etihad’s new Paris schedule from July 1 lists three daily departures from Zayed Abu Dhabi International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle: EY31 at 02:35 on an A380, EY33 at 14:20 on an A380, and EY35 at 08:50 on a Boeing 787-9. (etihad.com) The return flights are EY32 at 10:40, EY34 at 21:50 and EY36 at 15:50 from Paris, with the two A380 services and one 787-9 mirrored on the westbound leg. The 2026 increase builds on Etihad’s earlier Paris expansion. The airline had already restored A380 service to Paris in November 2024 and introduced double-daily Paris flights from Jan. 15, 2025, using an A380 and a Boeing 787-9. (etihad.com) ### Why is the second A380 the most notable part of the move? The Airbus A380 is Etihad’s flagship long-haul aircraft, and the airline said Paris will be one of only a handful of destinations served twice a day by the double-decker jet. That matters because the A380 carries more premium seats than the 787-9 and includes Etihad’s top-end products such as First Apartments and The Residence, depending on configuration. (etihad.com) Gulf News and other industry outlets said the added A380 capacity is aimed at the peak northern summer season, when airlines typically push larger aircraft onto business and leisure routes with stronger demand. (etihad.com) Etihad itself said the morning and afternoon departure pattern was designed for both business and leisure travelers. ### How long will the triple-daily schedule stay in place? Etihad’s published timetable says the expanded Paris operation is scheduled from July 1 to Oct. 24, 2026. The airline’s May 19 release framed the move as a summer increase rather than a permanent year-round change. (etihad.com) Travel trade reports published on May 19 and May 20 repeated the same date range and aircraft plan, indicating the adjustment is tied to the summer travel period rather than a broader immediate network reset. (gulfnews.com) ### How does this fit into Etihad’s wider network push? Etihad’s May news flow shows the carrier adding capacity in several markets in 2026. On April 24, the airline said it would increase Chicago to double-daily service and raise Charlotte to daily service, part of what it described as an acceleration of North American growth. (etihad.com) Paris is one of Etihad’s highest-profile European routes, and the airline has used the A380 there since bringing the aircraft back to the French capital in late 2024. The new summer schedule keeps a Boeing 787-9 on one of the three daily rotations while concentrating the heaviest capacity on the two A380 flights. (ttnworldwide.com) ### What should travelers watch next? July 1 is the effective date for the new schedule, and Oct. 24 is the last date listed in Etihad’s published summer plan for the triple-daily Paris operation. Travelers looking for the rollout can track flights EY31, EY33 and EY35 from Abu Dhabi and EY32, EY34 and EY36 from Paris in Etihad’s schedule and booking channels. (etihad.com 1) (etihad.com 2)