Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has unveiled new product and service offerings on its Airbus A380 and Boeing B787 Dreamliner aircraft, including the world’s most luxurious living space in the air, available only on the airline’s A380 aircraft.

The Residence by Etihad will be the breath-taking and completely new forward upper-deck cabin on the A380. Accommodating single or double occupancy, it features a living room, separate double bedroom and ensuite shower room. Guests in The Residence will also have a personal Butler.

With the launch of these new fleets, the Abu Dhabi-based airline will also redefine and rename its cabin classes.

The A380 will feature the revolutionary First Apartments, which are fully private suites with a separate reclining lounge seat and full-length bed, as well as a chilled mini-bar, personal vanity unit and wardrobe.

Etihad Airways has allocated the upper deck of the A380 to its premium cabins.

On the B787, Etihad Airways has designed an enhanced First Suite, adding many new features including a chilled mini-bar.

The Business Studio and Economy Smart Seat will feature on both the A380 and the B787.

Etihad Airways is introducing the latest Panasonic eX3 entertainment system across both fleets, providing more than 750 hours of on-demand entertainment, improved gaming and high definition screens across all cabins.  

The system has video touchscreen handsets, offering an additional screen for guests to maximize their entertainment, so they can play games or view the moving map while watching a movie.  

Noise cancelling headsets are provided across all cabins, with built-in magnetic audio jacks to ensure the best sound quality.

The A380 aircraft will have full mobile and Wi-Fi service while the B787 will be equipped with Wi-Fi.

Unveiled at a global media launch in Abu Dhabi today (May 4), the new cabins and service offering follow the airline’s pledge to transform air travel and make every guest journey a remarkable one.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ president and chief executive officer, said: “These new living spaces will raise inflight product and service standards to their highest level yet in commercial aviation and alter air travellers’ expectations of inflight comfort and luxury forever.
 
“Etihad Airways’ A380 and B787 will deliver the most advanced airline cabins in the industry, while meeting all weight, range and cost targets at our desired seat count. This will allow us to offer products unparalleled in quality and style, yet at competitive prices across all three cabins.”

In 2008, recognising that no single design agency could deliver its vision for the new cabins, Etihad Airways established the Etihad Design Consortium (EDC) which brought together three leading design companies, Acumen, Factorydesign and Honour Branding to develop innovative cabin and seat designs for the new fleets.

The EDC collaborated with Promise Communispace, a leading co-creation agency, to launch comprehensive consumer research and workshops in Abu Dhabi, Sydney, London and New York, with the goal of understanding what makes a ‘perfect flight’ and asking consumers to help design the perfect airline.  

Eighty per cent of the new product offering is a direct result of the feedback and information garnered from these workshops.

Etihad Airways’ design vision was to bring the individuality and exclusivity of a luxury boutique hotel experience to the sky in a way that embraced Arabian Modernism, an aesthetic that combines the traditions of the region with contemporary design.

The Residence, which is certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for single or double occupancy, offers levels of luxury and total privacy normally found only on private jets.

Each Etihad Airways A380 will offer a boutique version of The Residence with different color palettes, table marquetry and custom carpets.

Guests in The Residence will have the services of a personal Butler throughout their flight. These fully trained service professionals will receive specialist training at the Savoy Butler Academy in London.

Guests in The Residence will also have a dedicated VIP Travel Concierge team who will ensure every detail of their travel experience, including ground transport, cuisine, and amenities, are tailored to their requirements. – TradeArabia News Service