Etihad Airways Wins Second Prestigious Crystal Cabin Award

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 recently 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.

Etihad Airways B787 First Class cabin

According to the airline, Etihad Airways’ B787 interior is equally as ambitious as its highly acclaimed A380, with the same ground-breaking innovation evident in all elements of the cabin interior, from unique configurations to revolutionary seat designs, reflecting the airline’s next phase of brand maturity and the exciting growth of modern Abu Dhabi.

The Etihad Airways B787 First Class cabin offers guests a forward and aft facing layout with a unique curved aisle, a first in airline cabin design, which allows for greater space and privacy, and is aesthetically striking. Each First Suite is fitted out with a fully customisable seat that converts into a 204 centimetre fully-flat bed featuring an advanced Lantal pneumatic cushion system.

Each fully enclosed suite has 147 centimetre high sliding doors for maximum privacy, an individual powerless chilled mini bar, a personal closet and a large single leaf table with an option for dual dining. Four of the eight First Suites can be transformed into shared double suite spaces for guests travelling together.

B787 features electrochromic windows which are 65 percent larger than those on other aircraft in its category, providing increased levels of natural light. Windows can be darkened with the use of an optical shade made from an electrified gel which darkens when the current is increased.

The B787 First Class washrooms feature the same contemporary design elements as those found on the airline’s A380 fleet.

The 2016 Crystal Cabin 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.