Etihad Airways unveils major Economy transformation programme

Etihad Airways has unveiled measures designed to enhance personalisation as part of a major transformation programme targeting Economy class.

The airline plans to undertake the cabin upgrade and refurbishment of 23 narrow-body Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft.

The modern cabins will feature new ergonomic extra-spatial design seats by UK-based Acro. The seats will provide increased knee room and include fast-charging USB points and an adjustable phone and tablet holder.

As part of the retrofit programme, the company will offer new personalised wireless streaming entertainment to passengers’ smartphone and tablet devices.

Through the move, the carrier seeks to remove inflight entertainment screens from its Airbus A320 narrow-body fleet.

Etihad aims to complete the retrofit programme in August.

The removal of screens will enable the airline to save 18t in weight a year, Reuters reported citing an unnamed Etihad Airways senior executive. The weight reduction will drive down fuel consumption and costs.

However, the screens will continue to feature in the Economy cabins on the airline’s fleet of wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

Passengers on narrow-body aircraft will be allowed to connect their personal devices to Etihad’s onboard Panasonic eXW system to wirelessly stream more than 300 hours of free in-flight entertainment.

The airline is also introducing a new Economy dining concept on all its flights.

Passengers flying to destinations that are more than three hours apart from the originating airport can now enjoy a larger, contemporary bistro-style meal. The dining service features fresh seasonal ingredients and more destination-focused choices.

The main meal will be followed by dessert items and an after-meal coffee and tea service.

Other in-flight catering enhancements include a new curved triangular baseplate design made of recycled materials.

Another attraction is a new ‘Sweet or Salty’ retail menu on all flights.

The company has also pledged to make cutlery 85% lighter and remove 27 million plastic lids and other containers a year, which is part of its push towards sustainability and its goal to reduce the use of single-use plastics by 80% by 2022.

Etihad Aviation Group CEO Tony Douglas said: “As part of our ‘Choose Well’ promise, we are empowering our guests with more control of their travel experiences, through onboard digital transformation, improved choice and redesigned cabins and products.

“As a leading full-service airline, Etihad is adapting to meet the specific needs and requirements of all travellers, providing more of what they really want to enjoy in-flight.

“This not only delivers greater choice and personalisation, it also ensures we continue to provide a superior, commercially wise and sustainable service offering.”