Etihad is to become the second Middle Eastern carrier to open a lounge within Manchester airport’s Terminal 1, joining rivals Emirates.
The new 318sqm Etihad facility is due to open “late this year”, and will feature “five-star dining facilities with a selection of international cuisine”, a business centre, relaxation area, family room, prayer room, and “luxurious bathroom and shower facilities”.
Rival carrier Emirates unveiled its own lounge at Manchester’s T1 in October last year (see online news October 22, 2009), part of the terminal’s revamped facilities. For a report on developments at the airport see Northern Heights in the March 2010 edition of Business Traveller.
Etihad currently operates a daily service between Manchester and Abu Dhabi using Airbus A330-200s, although it is due to roster Boeing 777-300 aircraft on to the route from June (see online news February 18). This will increase capacity on the route by around 60 per cent, but note that the carrier is also set to move to a ten across layout in the economy cabin of these aircraft.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline also opened a lounge a Heathrow T4 last year – for a review of the facility click here.
For more information visit etihadairways.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
