Etihad Airways (Etihad), the national airline of the UAE, hosted an exclusive reception at the Palazzo Clerici, the spectacular Baroque former residence of the influential Clerici family, located in the heart of the Italian city, to celebrate the deployment of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its daily scheduled services to Milan.
The occasion was attended by leading figures from the UAE and local government officials, diplomats, corporate partners, members of the travel industry and social influencers.
Etihad introduced its Abu Dhabi to Milan Malpensa service in September 2007, its first destination in Italy. To meet demand for a more comfortable and personalised travel experience, state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner services were launched in September this year, demonstrating the airline’s commitment to the Italian market.
Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Since the launch of flights between Milan and Abu Dhabi in 2007, Etihad has carried over 1.4 million guests to and from the city, and the route continues to enjoy strong demand from both business and leisure travellers alike. The tremendous support and recognition Etihad has received in recent years from Italian guests, partners and stakeholders, has been instrumental in strengthening our position as a leader in this important market.”
The 787-9s serving Milan currently feature industry-leading cabins with 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats, and will soon be among the first Dreamliners in the fleet to feature new Economy Space seating.
Etihad also used the event as an opportunity to highlight its unique partnership with Italian luxury brand, ACQUA DI PARMA, showcasing the airline’s refreshed First and Business class amenity kits. The redesigned First bag features a new shape and is offered in black, while Business amenity kits have evolved into a convenient zipper pouch in yellow, the colour synonymous with the Italian brand and a grey valet tray.
Etihad’s association with ACQUA DI PARMA began in 2014, when the airline started offering the brand’s luxury toiletries in The Residence cabin on its Airbus A380 fleet. Founded in 1916 in the historic city of Parma, and part of the LVMH Group since 2001, ACQUA DI PARMA has worked closely with Etihad to tailor its unique products to each stage of the guest experience, on the ground and in the air, using its signature Colonia, a perfume with a formula which has remained unchanged for 103 years, along with a selection of additional fragrances in The Residence.
CEO & President of ACQUA DI PARMA, Laura Burdese, said: “After 103 years, ACQUA DI PARMA has become an icon of Italian style. We are extremely selective when choosing brands to associate with, but partnering with a world-leading airline like Etihad was a natural choice due to its premium services and high-end inflight experience. I see this partnership as an enhancement of a relationship founded on the same shared values of excellence and quality.”
The astounding ‘Mirror Ballroom’ of the Palazzo Clerici was used by ACQUA DI PARMA to create a ‘fragrant universe’ featuring workshops on the making the perfumer’s iconic yellow hatboxes and the complex process of hand-making the perfume crystal caps of Note di Colonia.
