Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Etihad Airways (Etihad), the national airline of the UAE, has celebrated the deployment of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its daily scheduled services to Milan by hosting an exclusive reception at the Palazzo Clerici, the spectacular Baroque former residence of the influential Clerici family, located in the heart of the Italian city. The occasion was attended by leading figures from the UAE and local government officials, diplomats, corporate partners, members of the travel industry and social influencers.
Exclusive event held to showcase the importance of the Italian market,
and airline’s partnership with iconic luxury Italian brand ACQUA DI PARMA
Etihad
introduced its Abu Dhabi to Milan Malpensa service in September 2007, its first
destination in Italy. To meet demand for a more comfortable and personalised
travel experience, state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner services were launched
in September this year, demonstrating the airline’s commitment to the Italian
market.
Robin
Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Since the
launch of flights between Milan and Abu Dhabi in 2007, Etihad has carried over 1.4
million guests to and from the city, and the route continues to enjoy strong
demand from both business and leisure travellers alike. The tremendous support
and recognition Etihad has received in recent years from Italian guests,
partners and stakeholders, has been instrumental in strengthening our position
as a leader in this important market.”
The
787-9s serving Milan currently feature
industry-leading cabins with 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats,
and will soon be among the first Dreamliners in the fleet to feature new Economy
Space seating.
Etihad also used the event as an opportunity
to highlight its unique partnership with Italian luxury brand, ACQUA DI PARMA, showcasing
the airline’s refreshed First and Business class amenity kits. The
redesigned First bag features a new shape and is offered in black, while
Business amenity kits have evolved into a convenient zipper pouch in yellow,
the colour synonymous with the Italian brand and a grey valet tray.
Etihad’s association with ACQUA DI PARMA
began in 2014, when the airline started offering the brand’s luxury toiletries
in The Residence cabin on its Airbus A380 fleet. Founded in 1916 in the
historic city of Parma, and part of the LVMH Group since 2001, ACQUA DI PARMA
has worked closely with Etihad to tailor its unique products to each stage of
the guest experience, on the ground and in the air, using its signature
Colonia, a perfume with a formula which has remained unchanged for 103 years,
along with a selection of additional fragrances in The Residence.
CEO & President of ACQUA DI PARMA, Laura
Burdese, said: “After 103 years, ACQUA DI PARMA has become an icon of Italian
style. We are extremely selective when choosing brands to associate with, but
partnering with a world-leading airline like Etihad was a natural choice due to
its premium services and high-end inflight experience. I see this partnership
as an enhancement of a relationship founded on the same shared values of
excellence and quality.”
The astounding ‘Mirror Ballroom’ of the
Palazzo Clerici was used by ACQUA DI PARMA to create a ‘fragrant universe’
featuring workshops on the making the perfumer’s iconic yellow hatboxes and the
complex process of hand-making the perfume crystal caps of Note di Colonia.