• A380 will debut The Residence by Etihad™ – the only three-room cabin in the sky

• New contemporary living spaces on A380 and B787 to transform air travel

• First Apartment, First Suites, Business Studio, and Economy Smart Seat to debut

United Arab Emirates | May 4, 2014 — Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has unveiled the new product and service offering on its Airbus A380 and Boeing B787 Dreamliner aircraft, including The Residence by Etihad™, the world’s most luxurious living space in the air, available only on the airline’s A380 aircraft.

The Residence will be the breath-taking and completely new forward upper-deck cabin on the A380. Accommodating single or double occupancy, it features a living room, separate double bedroom and ensuite shower room. Customers in The Residence will also have a personal butler.

With the launch of these new fleets, the Abu Dhabi-based airline will also redefine and rename its cabin classes.

The A380 will feature revolutionary First Apartments, which are fully private suites with a separate reclining lounge seat and full-length bed, as well as a chilled mini-bar, personal vanity unit and wardrobe.

Etihad Airways has allocated the upper deck of the A380 to its premium cabins.

On the B787, Etihad Airways has designed an enhanced First Suite, adding many new features including a chilled mini-bar.

The Business Studio and Economy Smart Seat will feature on both the A380 and the B787.

Etihad Airways is introducing the latest Panasonic eX3 entertainment system across both fleets, providing more than 750 hours of on-demand entertainment, improved gaming and high definition screens across all cabins.

The system has video touchscreen handsets, offering an additional screen for customers to maximise their entertainment, so they can play games or view a moving flight route map while watching a movie.

Noise cancelling headsets are provided across all cabins, with built-in magnetic audio jacks to ensure the best sound quality.

The A380 aircraft will have full mobile and Wi-Fi service while the B787 will be equipped with Wi-Fi.

The new cabins and service offering follow the airline’s pledge to transform air travel and make every customer journey a remarkable one.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “These new living spaces will raise inflight product and service standards to their highest level yet in commercial aviation and alter air travellers’ expectations of inflight comfort and luxury forever.

“Etihad Airways’ A380 and B787 will deliver the most advanced airline cabins in the industry, while meeting all weight, range and cost targets at our desired seat count. This will allow us to offer products unparalleled in quality and style, yet at competitive prices across all three cabins.”

Believing that no single design agency could deliver its vision for the new cabins, Etihad Airways established in 2008 the Etihad Design Consortium (EDC) which brought together three leading British design companies, Acumen, Factorydesign and Honour Branding to develop innovative cabin and seat designs for the new fleets.

The EDC collaborated with Promise Communispace, a leading agency, to launch comprehensive consumer research and workshops in London, Abu Dhabi, Sydney, and New York, with the goal of understanding what makes a ‘perfect flight’ and asking consumers to help design the perfect airline.

Eighty per cent of the new product offering is a direct result of the feedback and information garnered from these workshops.

Etihad Airways’ design vision was to bring the individuality and exclusivity of a luxury boutique hotel experience to the sky in a way that embraced Arabian modernism, an aesthetic that combines the traditions of the Middle East with contemporary design.

The Residence by Etihad

The Residence, which is certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for single or double occupancy, offers levels of luxury and total privacy normally found only on private jets.

Each Etihad Airways A380 will offer a boutique version of The Residence with different colour palettes, table marquetry and custom carpets.

Customers in The Residence will have the services of a personal butler throughout their flight. These fully trained service professionals will receive specialist training at the Savoy Butler Academy in London.

They will also have a dedicated VIP travel concierge team who will ensure every detail of their travel experience, including ground transport, cuisine, and amenities, are tailored to their requirements.

First Apartments

Etihad Airways will redefine first class and set a remarkable new industry standard with the launch of the First Apartment on the A380.

Nine First Apartments will be installed on the upper deck in a 1-1 configuration to create the only single aisle first class cabin in the industry.

Each First Apartment, which has a 64 inch high sliding door, includes a reclining armchair and a full-length ottoman, both upholstered by the prestigious Italian suppliers of Ferrari’s interiors, Poltrona Frau. The ottoman transforms into a separate 80 inch long fully flatbed.

The First Apartment, which also includes features such as a chilled mini-bar, a personal vanity unit and a swivelling TV monitor for viewing from either the seat or the bed, has a 74 per cent larger footprint than the airline’s current award-winning first class suites.

A fully equipped shower room is available on the A380 for exclusive use by first class customers.

First Suites

On the B787, Etihad Airways has designed an enhanced First Suite with many new features. The eight First Suites in a 1-2-1 configuration along a curved aisle, another first in commercial aviation.

Each completely private First Suite has a large seat and ottoman, both upholstered by Poltrona Frau, which converts into an 80.5 inch long full-flat bed.

On the centre seats, the armrests retract and the suites can be joined to create a ‘double’ bed. Other features include a chilled mini-bar and a 24 inch TV monitor.

Business Studios

On both the A380 and the B787, Etihad Airways will launch its new Business Studios which provide 20 per cent more personal space than the airline’s current business class seat.

Configured 1-2-1 in a forward and aft ‘dovetail’, the Business Studios all have aisle access and the seat converts into a fully flat bed of up to 80.5 inches long.

With its privacy, ample storage and surface space, the Business Studio has been designed with the diverse needs of the premium business or leisure traveller firmly in mind.

The Lobby

On the Airbus A380, First and Business Class guests will be able to relax in The Lobby which is a serviced lounge and bar area located between the first and business cabins.

Providing a semi-circular leather sofa, a marquetry table and a large TV screen, The Lobby is designed for relaxing and socialising.

The TV has a USB connection so it can be used for sharing content or it can also be set to the airline’s live news and sport TV channels..

Economy Smart Seat

New Economy Smart Seat will offer an ergonomic fixed-wing headrest, to give customers a place to rest their head for added comfort and relaxation.

The seat also has a lumbar support feature, allowing customers to adjust their seat comfort, and an 11 inch personal monitor screen, with all the IFE peripherals conveniently set into the seatback in front.

The latest Panasonic eX3 personal entertainment system, of which Etihad Airways is a launch customer, is installed across all cabins

Cabin Entrances

A key design objective for Etihad Airways was to transform the boarding experience making it more akin to stepping into the lobby of a boutique hotel.

In all entry-ways in both aircraft and in all cabins, the galley equipment is concealed behind custom Arabic fretwork screens and blinds, while the trolleys are covered by elegant wood-finish doors, setting a stylish and welcoming environment for all customers.

Importantly for the airline’s Muslim customers, Etihad Airways has developed prayer areas which can be curtained off for privacy and are equipped with a real-time electronic Qibla-finder showing the exact direction of Mecca based on the aircraft’s geographical position.

In the premium class boarding areas, Etihad Airways will collaborate with cultural institutions in the UAE to exhibit artwork and artefacts in display cabinets installed throughout. Items from the Etihad Airways duty free catalogue will also be displayed.

With the launch of these new aircraft, Etihad Airways will update its dining equipment, amenities and soft furnishings across its entire fleet.

To view images and video of the new cabins, please click on the following links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEhl8GyXfBY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqZZHT5dvMU

London, England | December 14, 2012– A testament to its reputation for innovation and service, EVA Air has today announced plans to provide in-flight mobile and WiFi communications aboard its brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Approved by Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration, this new service will be made available on the new aircraft in 2014, making EVA Air the first airline in Taiwan to secure approval for its passengers to make mobile phone calls and use WiFi in-flight.

The seven Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, ordered in May 2012, will be equipped with the latest Panasonic eX3 in-flight entertainment system and a GCS (Global Communications Suite), making them the first aircraft of their kind to combine both technologies on assembly. Approved by Taiwan’s National Communications Commission, EVA Air will operate its GCS on an independent frequency which will not interfere with flight navigations communications or jeopardise flight safety. The GCS service will enable passengers to make mobile phone calls, browse the internet and use their own personal, WiFi-enabled mobile phones, tablets or laptops to read and send e-mails from the comfort of their own seats.

EVA Air’s Executive Vice President for PR, Mr. Nieh, commented: “The Panasonic eX3 is a new and upgraded in-flight entertainment system that provides our passengers with a more user-friendly and visually inviting environment, complete with a high definition screen for watching films and feature programmes. It will be available to all our passengers, regardless of which cabin they book – Economy, Elite and Royal Laurel classes.”

The Android-based eX3 system will give passengers a wide range of options to choose from and will even enable them to browse an online library and check connecting flight status an baggage claim locations.

Taiwan’s leading airline is further enhancing in-flight entertainment experiences for its passengers, such as watching films and playing video games, by upgrading systems in its Royal Laurel Class business cabins with eX3 16-inch touch screens and 4.1 inch LCD touch screen remote controls. At the same time, its Elite and Economy classes will be equipped with upgraded eX3 11.1 inch monitors.

Well-known for its innovation, EVA Air became the first airline in Taiwan to provide in-seat audio video on demand (AVOD) entertainment when it introduced the systems in 2003 and the carrier continues to iprove and upgrade its seats, cabins and overall service quality to successfully meet passengers’ needs and expectations and make their flying experience a pleasure.

September 12, 2012– Singapore Airlines has signed a major agreement with Panasonic Avionics for advanced in-flight entertainment and communications (IFEC) systems for more than 40 new aircraft on firm order with Airbus and Boeing. The agreement is valued at nearly US$400 million, based on the list prices of the systems and spares.

Under the agreement, Panasonic Avionics will supply IFEC systems for 20 Airbus A350s due for delivery from 2014, as well as for 15 more Airbus A330-300 and eight more Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, deliveries of which are due to begin next year.

Singapore Airlines will be the launch customer for Panasonic Avionics’ nextgeneration eX3 system for the A350s, as well as the first to deliver eX3 features on the B777-300ERs. In addition, SIA’s eX3 system will be the first to offer Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite on the A350s, which has the capability to provide broadband Internet services to passenger devices and the seat-back, mobile phone services, as well as a global live television service.

The eX3 is Panasonic’s most advanced IFEC system which will offer the latest video screen technology and touch-screen handsets in all classes of travel, powering the Airline’s award-winning KrisWorld entertainment system. Customers will experience higher levels of personalisation with KrisWorld providing intelligent content recommendations based on passenger ratings and preferences. Customers can expect the latest games and applications, an e-Library containing newspapers and magazines, social networking functions, as well as an innovative new touch-screen graphical user interface.

“SIA has always been a leader in providing the best in-flight entertainment to our customers but we need to constantly innovate to stay ahead of the competition. The contract with Panasonic Avionics will help us do just that,” said SIA Senior Vice President Product & Services, Mr Tan Pee Teck.

Panasonic Avionics CEO, Mr Paul Margis, added: “For many years, Singapore Airlines has been an important and valued customer for Panasonic, and we are honoured to once again have the opportunity to partner with one of the world’s leading pioneers in IFEC.”

Ahead of the introduction of the new systems, enhancements are planned for existing KrisWorld systems on SIA’s aircraft. These will include a wider programme selection, new and exclusive video games, as well as possible hardware upgrades.

The newly-signed contracts are part of a major investment programme to enhance the Airline’s IFE and connectivity offerings. Last week SIA formally introduced in-flight connectivity services as part of a separate US$50 million investment. Under this programme the Airline’s A340-500, A380-800 and B777-300ER aircraft are being equipped with wireless Internet and mobile data services over two years, enabling customers to stay connected even at 35,000ft. Fourteen aircraft have been equipped to date.