23 Nov 2015 11:00
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will be hosting a series of events and activities to showcase its approach to innovation in technology and sustainability during the UAE Innovation Week being held between 22 and 28 November.
- HE Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan tours the
Etihad Airways Innovation Centre and Training Academy
- Government officials and
members of the media experienced Etihad Airways’ revolutionary A380 and B787
aircraft cabins
The nationwide Innovation
Week was announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice
President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as part of the
UAE’s National Innovation Strategy launched in October 2014. The week-long
activities seek to promote the country’s position as a global innovation hub,
and encourage innovative thinking within the government and private sectors, as
well as from the public.
In celebration, Etihad
Airways’ state-of-the-art Innovation
Centre in Abu Dhabi is playing host to government entities, and members of the media,
who will all have the opportunity to explore lifelike mock-ups of the airline’s
revolutionary Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft cabins. Etihad
Airways’ A380 includes the ground-breaking The Residence by Etihad™, First
Apartments and Business Studios, while the B787 contains the award-winning First
Suites.
Today’s tour of the Etihad Airways Innovation Centre was led by the
airline’s President and Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, who welcomed His
Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Transport
Department and member of the Executive Council, Abu Dhabi; His Excellency Major
General Mohammed Khalfan Al Romaithi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief
of Abu Dhabi Police and member of the Executive Council; and Saeed Saif Al
Neyadi, General Manager of
Abu Dhabi Monitoring and Control Centre. Members of Etihad Airways’ executive
team were also present to receive the senior delegation including Khaled Al
Mehairbi, Senior Vice President Government and Aeropolitical Affairs; Hareb Al
Muhairy, Senior Vice President Corporate and International Affairs; and Abdul
Qader Hussein Ahmed, Vice President Government and International Affairs.
Etihad Airways has invested
billions of dollars in technology and innovation to transform its operations
and businesses, leveraging technology platforms, digital capability and
supplier partnerships across its equity partner airlines to achieve economies of
skill and scale. Etihad Airways now collaborates with the world’s largest
technology companies such as Accenture, Adobe, IBM, SAP and Sabre to enhance
the group’s guest experience using a resilient and secure cloud-based
infrastructure.
The Innovation Centre is a research centre of excellence
where fresh ideas are brought to life. It is also home to Etihad Airways’
Training Academy which comprises the largest A380 and B787 cabin service and
safety trainers in the world.
Guests touring the product innovation and themed rooms of
the facility between 23 and 25 November will be able to better understand how
the inspiration for the airline’s award winning products and services was
brought to life in partnership with the Etihad Design Consortium, which was established
in 2008.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President
and Chief Executive Officer, said: “In a competitive market environment such as
aviation, a sustained innovation process is fundamental to providing the best
possible products and services to our guests now and into the future. In
seeking new ideas and challenging the standards, we benchmark ourselves outside
the airline sector to take inspiration from global best practice of leaders
within the hospitality industry.”
The Innovation Centre tour also
showcases developments in the airline’s information technology services, which
include the cabin crew tablet application ‘iKnow’, and the benefits it brings
to both crew and guests. In addition, it features applications developed for
pilots, technical staff and those used for disruption support.
“We leverage the extraordinary
capabilities available through emerging technology, whether in the design of
new generation aircraft and interiors or the creation of digital solutions that
allow our service to be more efficient and customised when looking after our
guests,” Mr Hogan said.
An interactive display of the Panasonic eX3 Inflight
Entertainment (IFE) system provides a first-hand demonstration of its many
innovative features such as video sharing, shopping and hospitality apps, 3D
moving map display and Android games.