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The rivalry between Gulf airlines has taken on a screaming new dimension as Etihad Airways announced the introduction of children’s nannies, one of the bedrock of passenger services offered by Bahrain’s long-established Gulf Air, writes Stan Szecowka.
Royal-blue aprons on the right and bright orange on the left will clean up after the kids in an attempt to woo families on board.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has launched a dedicated in-flight child care assistance programme for families, led by the introduction of a new Flying Nanny on board long-haul flights.
Identified by bright orange aprons, each aims to provide a ‘helping hand’ to families and unaccompanied minors.
Gulf Air first launched services in 1950 as Gulf Aviation Company. Once run by several Gulf States, it is now fully owned by the kingdom through Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat.
“Gulf Air was the first airline in the world to introduce Sky Nannies on board its flights in 2002,” Ahmed Janahi, acting chief commercial officer, said. “Today, they form an integral part of the airline’s renowned award-winning family-friendly product offering.
“Recognisable by distinctive royal-blue aprons, Gulf Air’s team of professionally trained Sky Nannies have firmly established themselves as a big favourite among the airline’s pint sized passengers.
“Today’s children are the future passengers of tomorrow. It is great news that other airlines are becoming increasingly committed to focusing on their needs as well as those of their parents. As anyone who has travelled with children knows, it can be stressful.
“Sky Nannies make travelling with a family a pleasure rather than a chore.”
Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, started operations in November 2003. James Hogan, its president and CEO, once held similar roles at Gulf Air and will know all about the popularity of the service.
During the past two months 300 Etihad Airways cabin crew members have completed enhanced training for the role. A further 60 will be trained in September and 500 Flying Nannies will be working across its flights by the end of 2013.
The course includes in-depth training, from the world renowned Norland College, concentrating on child psychology and sociology, enabling the Flying Nannies to identify different types of behaviour and developmental stages that children go through and how to appreciate the perspective and needs of travelling families.
In addition, the course also covers many different creative ways the Flying Nanny can entertain and engage with children during flights.
Aubrey Tiedt, Etihad Airways’ vice president guest services, said: “Flying with a young family can be a daunting task, even for the most experienced travellers, and the Flying Nanny role demonstrates our understanding of our guests’ needs and our commitment to making the journey as relaxing and comfortable as possible.”
