Etihad Airways to bring nannies, chefs to L.A.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will start serving Los Angeles next summer with some high-end services rarely offered on a plane.
The daily nonstop service from Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles International Airport will include a gourmet chef to prepare the meals requested by first-class passengers.
In addition, nannies, trained at Norland College in England, will be on call to entertain, feed and pamper children during long flights.
“It’s our endeavor to give mom and dad a break, as well as the people around them on the plane,” James Hogan, chief executive of Etihad, said in announcing the start of the service.
Los Angeles will become Etihad’s fourth destination in the U.S. as the 10-year-old carrier plans to expands its global reach. It has ordered 90 planes, some of which will be added to the existing fleet of 80 planes this year.
The airline carried 6.5 million passengers in the first seven months of 2013, a 12% increase over the same period in 2012.
Hogan said some of the future growth for the airline will come from the increasing demand from India, through Ethiad’s partner, Jet Airways, based in Mumbai.
Etihad will begin serving Los Angeles on June 1 with Boeing 777s. The planes will offer three sections, Diamond First Class, Pearl Business Class and Coral Economy seats.
The first-class suites will include lay-flat seats and a sliding door for privacy.
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