Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, and Italy’s Alitalia welcomed Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the UAE, to their joint pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 this week.

The airlines are Official Global Airline Carriers of Expo Milano 2015, which takes place under the theme of ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’ from May 1 until October 31.

Expo Milano 2015 anticipates a total of 20 million visitors to attend from across the world.

Al Nahyan was given a tour of the airlines’ two-storey pavilion by Abdul Qader Hussein Ahmed, Etihad’s vice president - government and international affairs, and members of the airline’s Emirati graduate management programme, who are part of the onsite team at Expo Milano 2015.

Highlights of the ground floor, which is open to all visitors, include a multimedia Social Hub and an Imagination Lounge, where cooking demonstrations are conducted by celebrity chefs. In addition, visitors can test their pilot skills on two fully operational flight simulators, while a Kids Area is packed with interactive games, an augmented reality experience, and a 360-degree Collective Map with Oculus Rift technology.

An exclusive lounge on the first floor provides a luxurious and comfortable environment for selected guests to relax and experience the airlines’ products first hand. Breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets are prepared daily by professional chefs in the dining area, and a meeting room is also available for private business meetings.

As Official Global Airline Carriers, Etihad Airways and Alitalia are also playing a key role in bringing visitors to Expo Milano 2015, with an estimated 8 million attendees travelling to the event by air. – TradeArabia News Service