Etihad Airways has revealed its new first class cabin suite at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.
The first cabin to be fitted out was aboard an Airbus A340-600 to the value of US$70 million.
It contains 12 individual suites with extra-large seats that extend to fully-flat beds.
Each private suite is accessed by its own private door and includes a wardrobe and mini-bar, as well as 23 inch wide-screen TV and more than 600 hours of ‘on-demand’ entertainment. Stowage compartments are built into and around the seat.
In addition, a middle seat divider can be lowered to allow a dining space for up to four people.
Other features include a changing room and a wash basin.
Etihad Airways chief executive James Hogan said the revamp had occurred due to stiff competition from other airlines.
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“Competition for premium customers remains intense and during the last 12 months a number of airlines have unveiled significant enhancements to their first class cabins, with others deciding to remove the cabin completely from their aircraft.
“A downturn is exactly the time when an airline needs to demonstrate its commitment to the very highest standards of service excellence,” Hogan said.
“The economic turbulence that the aviation industry is currently experiencing will give way to calmer times, and when it does our investment and product innovation will ensure that we have not simply remained competitive, but that we are the market leader,” he added.
The new A340-600 will enter service at the end of August and the full roll-out of the new first class suites in the airline’s fleet is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
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