ETIHAD Airways is set to unveil a range of new initiatives at this month’s WTM.
The airline’s major destination feature at the event will be Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The inaugural flight held historic significance as the first ever commercial passenger service between Abu Dhabi and Vietnam’s commercial capital.
Etihad Airways’ president and chief executive officer James Hogan said the new Ho Chi Minh City flights would meet strong demand for business and leisure travel and cargo services between Vietnam and the UAE, the Middle East and Europe, adding that the UAE is Vietnam’s seventh largest trading partner and its largest in the Gulf region.
He continued: “Vietnam is not only the 13th most populous nation, it is also one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Its commercial capital, Ho Chi Minh City, is a gateway for millions of Vietnamese international travellers and a busy trading hub. Our daily services will inject approximately 3,700 new seats a week into the route. This will intensify competition among airlines for business, leisure and VFR ((visiting friends and relatives) travel from Vietnam to Europe and help boost visitor traffic to the GCC. At WTM, we’ll also feature partner airlines airberlin, Air Seychelles, Air Serbia, Aer Lingus, Jet Airways and Virgin Australia.”
Etihad Airways, which holds equity investments in airberlin, Air Seychelles, Virgin Australia and Aer Lingus, will acquire 49 per cent of Air Serbia from January 2014, and, subject to regulatory approval, will acquire 24 per cent of India’s Jet Airways. It also has codeshare partnerships with 47 airlines.
The Etihad stand will also feature a demonstration of its exclusive Diamond First Class and Pearl Business Class suite/seat.
The Diamond First Class suite, designed to provide enhanced privacy, higher levels of comfort and more personal space, features a 57-inch-high sliding screen door. The seat is upholstered in world-renowned Poltrona Frau leather with an inbuilt massager and unfolds into a fully flat bed.
Etihad’s Pearl Business Class seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, which gives all guests direct access to the aisle. Each seat also converts into a 180 degree fully flatbed. Entertainment is available on-demand on 16-inch personal LCD screens. The seats are also equipped with an on-board telephone, a range of power sockets for PCs, USB ports, iPod connectors, Ethernet port and an audio jack.
Another unique attraction at the stand will include an F1 car simulator.
Lastly, the airline will showcase themes around Etihad’s 10-year anniversary. As part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, Etihad Airways recently held an art competition on its English and Arabic Facebook pages to discover and showcase the work of great UAE artists.
Participants were invited to upload an original piece of artwork on the theme of ‘Flying, Flight & Fly’. Top 10 artworks have been shortlisted by Etihad Airways judges and are displayed on the airline’s Facebook art competition page for voting until from November 6, 2013. Top works, as voted by the airline’s Facebook fans, will be chosen as the winner.
Two Etihad Airways Facebook fans will win a pair of Coral Economy Class return tickets each to anywhere on the airline’s global network. The Etihad Airways stand will be located at ME350.