Five-star Etihad makes up with Skytrax
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Etihad Airways has been awarded a five-star rating by Skytrax, ending a two-year dispute between the two companies.
The UAE’s national carrier announced its withdrawal from Skytrax in June 2014, in protest over the airline rating body’s review system and criteria. At that time, Etihad was one of a host of “four-star” airlines, along with Emirates.
Since that time however, Etihad has unveiled a series of product enhancements, including the new cabins that were launched on its fleet of Airbus A380s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners. These included the impressive ‘Residence by Etihad’, which is the world’s first three-room passenger suite.
And now, following three-month audit, Skytrax has finally awarded Etihad its five-star rating. It becomes only the ninth airline in the world to achieve the top ranking, after ANA, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Hainan Airlines, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.
“This rating marks the culmination of over a decade of hard work and continuous innovation – a milestone on the Etihad Airways journey,” said Peter Baumgartner, Etihad’s CEO. “We are a company which challenges the norms of air travel by drawing inspiration from the finest hospitality establishments around the world. Today we are recognised as the airline which is reimagining flying, and doing it with style and flair.”
Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, said that Etihad’s new products had contributed to the improved ranking, saying that its “revolutionary” Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 cabins are “clearly best in class”.
Aside from its new seats, Etihad’s other service innovations include Savoy-trained in-flight butlers and “Flying Nannies” trained by the Norland College, along with new airport lounges and F&B offerings.
During the Skytrax audit, airlines are assessed in a series of areas, including aircraft seating, safety procedures, in-flight entertainment, cabin cleanliness, amenities, catering, duty-free sales and reading materials.
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