Pilots at Etihad Airways Are Now Allowed to Fly Both the Double-Deck Airbus A380 and A350 Interchangeably

Pilots at Etihad Airways will now be trained to fly both the double-deck Airbus A380 and the A350 interchangeably, becoming one of the first-ever airlines to allow so-called ‘Mixed Fleet Flying’ with the superjumbo.

The concept has been touted by aircraft manufacturer Airbus for a number of years, based on similarities in flight deck and aircraft control systems across Airbus aircraft models.

So far, however, few civil aviation regulators have approved Mixed Fleet Flying, with notable exceptions including Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

There are various ways that airlines can utilise the concept. In 2021, ANA All Nippon Airlines won approval from regulators to allow its pilots to fly both the Airbus A380 superjumbo and much smaller single-aisle A320 aircraft.

In doing so, the airline became the first ever airline to introduce MFF on the A380.

Etihad Airways has taken a slightly different approach and has trained its pilots to fly two different types of widebody aircraft with the A380 and A350.

The concept isn’t, however, completely unheard of. In the past, Etihad has also trained its pilots to fly the A320 and larger A330 models interchangeably, as well as the A330 and A340 models interchangeably.

“This achievement will enhance the resilience and flexibility of the airline’s network and is testament to our commitment to continuously push the boundaries of efficiency, innovation, and customer satisfaction, and at all times ensuring safety is Etihad’s number one priority,” commented Mohammad Al Bulooki, chief operating officer at Etihad Airways.

“Etihad Airways is proud to be one of the very first airlines to qualify its pilots to fly both the Airbus A350 and A380,” Al Bulooki continued.

Airbus claims Mixed Fleet Flying is unique to Airbus aircraft, but Etihad has previously trained its Boeing pilots to fly both the 777 and 787 Dreamliner interchangeably.