There’s a new airline in the region. Etihad Airways launched on Nov. 5 as the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, based in Abu Dhabi. The airline is targeting the region’s business sector and has also introduced the Gulf’s first premium economy class.
“In the past 25 to 30 years since the introduction of business class, there has been very little to differentiate one airline from another, especially in this region. We aim to change that,” said Sheikh Ahmed ibn Saif Al-Nahyan, chairman, Etihad. “We want to raise the standards in the Middle East to a level of service excellence that is unparalleled and exceeds customer expectations.” The premium economy class will offer a limousine service to and from the airport and any point in the UAE and a special services team will greet guests on arrival. Etihad will refer to passengers as ‘guests’ and has ‘guest zones’ rather than fare classes.
The airline began operations with two Airbus A330-200 planes. Its first destination is Beirut, with Damascus joining the flight schedule next.
Six additional planes will be added to the fleet by year-end, increasing destinations accordingly. For complete information on this emerging carrier click to etihadairways.com.