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Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business
Etihad Airways has won the coveted 2016 Crystal Cabin Award in the new ‘Cabin Concepts’ category for its Boeing 787 First Class cabin, featuring the airline’s new First Suites, unique to its Dreamliner fleet. The ceremony was held last night in Hamburg, Germany, as part of the annual Aircraft Interiors Expo.
The award is the second consecutive win for the airline’s innovative new cabins. In 2015, it won the prestigious award for its Airbus A380 upper deck cabin designs and products.
The Crystal Cabin Award is the only international award recognising excellence in aircraft interior innovation. The international judging panel is made up of more than 20 academics, engineers, representatives of aircraft manufacturers and airlines, as well as journalists specialising in the field of aircraft interior design.
Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways, said, “Yet again, the sheer depth of innovation which went into the creation of the revolutionary First Class cabin on our new fleet of Boeing 787s is being recognised by the industry’s most respected experts and professionals, as it was for our A380 in 2015.
This vision has been driven by a co-creation approach with consumers and magnificently brought to reality by the many Etihad Airways employees involved in the project, together with the Etihad Design Consortium.
“We continue to challenge the conventions of modern cabin architecture by throwing away the rule book and adopting a ‘blue sky’ approach to intelligent design and aesthetics, which will continue well into the future as we prepare for the arrival of our future Boeing 777X and Airbus A350 fleets.â€
The award was presented jointly to Etihad Airways and the members of the Etihad Design Consortium (EDC) — a unique grouping of three leading brand and design agencies, who pooled their combined skills to deliver on the airline’s vision of a revolutionary change to the modern flying experience. Etihad Airways’ B787 interior is equally as ambitious as its highly acclaimed A380.