Sudipta Dev – Mumbai
From May 1, 2016, Etihad Airways will be introducing its award-winning Airbus A380 flight on Mumbai-Abu Dhabi route. It will be one of the daily three flights that the airline currently operates in this segment. The A380 aircraft is already flying London, Sydney and New York, and the fact that it will be introduced in India, reiterates the significance of the India market for the airline. “India is a very important market for Etihad, we now fly to 11 cities in the country. Mumbai is served by five flights a day – three from Etihad and two from Jet Airways,” said Neerja Bhatia, VP, India and Indian Sub-Continent (ISC), Etihad Airways.
With this launch the airline will also introduce its unique hospitality aspects that A380 so well typifies. “We create a hospitality environment and benchmark against hospitality companies and not airlines,” said Calum Laming, VP – guest experience, Etihad Airways. Pointing out that the airline serves more cities in India than any other country in the world, Laming mentioned, “We brought global research here and listened to the needs and demands of the market. We aim to exceed the expectation of travellers.”
Reminding that the brand promise is to transform expectations of air travel, Laming asserted, “We are not just an airline, we work to offer the best guest experience, and deliver the world’s best brand experience. We want guests to enjoy the experience and keep coming back.” The Airbus A380 has 496 seats with four class configurations – The Residence, First Apartments, Business Studios and Economy Smart Seats. The inflight product, according to Laming, has been reimagined. “We wanted to design an experience that did not feel like an aircraft. Our service differentiation includes an onboard chef in First Class, dedicated F&B manager for Business Class, onboard nannies in economy on long haul flights.” While the nannies are trained by Norland College, UK; the butler for The Residence is specially trained in Savoy Hotel, London. The economy has Smart Seats. “To get innovation in economy is something we are very proud of,” he mentioned.