‘The Residence’ Ultra-Luxe Flying Apartment Returns to the Skies With the Airbus A380

Call this a light at the end of the tunnel kind of moment, even if you could never splurge over a small fortune to book a Residence for your trip. Etihad Airways has announced plans to bring back part of its fleet of jumbo airplanes to the skies, because they are financially viable again. To put it differently, the effects of travel restrictions imposed by the international health crisis of 2020 are starting to wear off, and people are flying again.

Demand for luxury travel is picking up again, and not just for private charters. The Residence is the most luxurious, sophisticated way of flying without charting, and was available on the 10 Airbus 380s operated by the second-largest airline in the United Arab Emirates. It was introduced in 2014 and was in operation until the spring of 2020, when Etihad began grounding A380s because of travel restrictions, and became one of the most significant casualties in the industry.

The Residence is your very own flying apartment onboard a commercial plane. It consists of a three-room apartment, and is located at the front of the upper deck. Offering sleeping accommodations for two passengers, it consists of a bedroom, a lounge and an ensuite bathroom, and offers amenities like your very own private butler, gourmet dining, and the A-list experience, including designer gift bags.

In total, a Residence is 125 square feet (11.6 square meters) and is perfect for long-haul flights when you might be pressed to find ways to entertain your (rich) self. There’s a cinema-like TV screen in the lounge and a reclining sofa to catch up on your favorite shows on, a double bed in the bedroom, and a bathroom that’s a match for a residential one.

Even though prices for a Residence started at $20,000 one-way, given the fact that there were only 10 of them, that they were an industry first, and that they never compromised on the quality of service, they were always in high demand. It’s good news then that they’re coming back. Forbes reports that Etihad is planning to restore the grounded A380s to the skies, with four of them scheduled to return in the summer of 2023, initially traveling on the Abu Dhabi – London Heathrow route.

Local and international flights will be added to the airliner’s schedule, so if there was ever a time to say “It’s finally over!” in relation to the health crisis, now’s probably it. As of the time of writing, there’s no mention of when the other six A380s, and their corresponding Residences, will return.