04 مايو 2014 11:30
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will set a new industry standard with the launch of its new First Apartments and First Suites.
First Class guests
flying on the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner will enjoy a luxurious
travel experience in an all-encompassing private space that allows them to
relax, be entertained, dine, socialise, and work.
The ground-breaking First
Apartment will feature on the airline’s A380 fleet and offer a complete living
space with a reclining lounge chair and an ottoman which converts to become a
separate 80.5 inch long fully-flat bed.
The First Suite on the
Etihad Airways B787 offers guests an enhanced suite with chilled mini-bar,
complete privacy and centre seats which can be joined to create a double bed.
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad
Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Our new First Apartments and First Suites
are major milestones for Etihad Airways and the global aviation industry as a
whole, marking the dawn of an exciting new era in sophisticated, luxurious air
travel.
“The launch is the
culmination of five years of research, design and implementation, but the hard
work has paid off. The final product is far superior to anything available in
the market today and more akin to the offerings of the world’s top five-star
hotels, as guests onboard our A380 and B787 will soon discover.
Nine First Apartments
will be located in the upper deck of Etihad Airways’ A380s, six of which have
‘connecting doors’ that allow them to create apartments for guests travelling
together.
Benefitting from the
A380’s size, each First Apartment has a total area of 39 square feet, offering 74
per cent more space than Etihad Airways’ existing First Class suite.
Configured along a
single aisle, a first for the industry, Etihad Airways’ First Apartments
include a 30.3 inch reclining lounge chair and separate full length ottoman
which opens into an 80.5 inch long and 26 inch wide fully flat bed. The lounge
chair and ottoman are upholstered by Poltrona Frau, the prestigious suppliers
of Ferrari interiors.
Adding to the home design
touches, the First Apartment includes a chilled mini-bar, personal wardrobe, and
a separate vanity unit with lit make-up mirrors and stocked with luxury branded
amenities.
Taking design cues
from the best boutique hotels, the First Apartments across the cabin have three
separate but complementary colour palettes - chocolate, cashmere and coffee – each
with its own accent colour.
First Apartment
guests have an exclusive shower room. The Lobby is located between the First
and Business Class cabins, featuring a lounge and bar area with leather sofas,
marquetry table, and large-screen television.
The Etihad Airways
B787 will feature eight First Suites in a 1-2-1 configuration.
A key design feature
of the B787 First Class cabin is the industry’s first curved aisle and suite
wall which creates a unique and visually compelling environment.
The B787 First Suite
boasts a 26 inch wide Poltrona Frau seat that converts to a comfortable
80.5-inch long fully-flat bed.
Like the First Apartments
on the A380, the First Suites on the B787 will also offer a chilled mini-bar, Poltrona
Frau leather upholstery, and three different colour schemes.
First Class Chefs
will provide a five-star restaurant-style service in the sky, with guests able
to request dishes prepared to their personal tastes and preferences.
The First Apartment
and First Suite have been produced by United States-based B/E Aerospace, which
also produced the airline’s current First Class seats on the A330 and A340, and
B777 aircraft.
Amin J. Khoury, Chairman
of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of B/E Aerospace, said: “We are
pleased to have jointly developed customised suites for Etihad Airways’ First
Class passengers.
“The new First Class
seats are outfitted with luxurious amenities, extraordinary comfort and personal
space designed to enhance the passenger experience.”
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 maximise
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.
Paul Margis,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said:
"We share Etihad Airways’ vision of offering the very best guest experience
in the skies, and are delighted to partner on their next-generation inflight
entertainment system.
“With the industry's
highest performance and brilliant high-definition displays, connectivity to the
seatback and to passenger devices, higher levels of personalisation, second
screen content, and much more, passengers will enjoy a truly unique inflight
experience on board Etihad Airways’ state-of-the-art aircraft.”
To
view images and video of the new cabins, please click on the following links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlCS2ZZ7QVY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1-hz4_LlnE
www.etihadmediacentre.com