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Etihad Airways boosts services for young families with introduction of Flying Nanny

The Etihad Airways’ Flying Nanny will interact and engage with children on long haul flights.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has launched a dedicated in-flight child care assistance program for families, led by the introduction of a new Flying Nanny on board long haul flights.
Identified by a bright orange apron, the Flying Nanny provides a ‘helping hand’ to families and unaccompanied minors. They will also introduce children to the exciting collectable Etihad characters - Zoe the bee, Jamool the camel, Kundai the lion, and Boo the panda - who accompany them on their trip.
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 on Etihad Airways long haul flights by the end of 2013.
The course includes in-depth training, from the world renowned Norland College, focusing 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.”
During the flight, the Flying Nanny will use her specialist training, supporting the needs of families and unaccompanied minors, as well as supporting other cabin crew members when they interact with families.
Ms Tiedt added, “The Flying Nanny will liaise with parents and use their experience and knowledge to make the travel experience easier. This includes helping serve children’s meals early in the flight and offering activities and challenges to help entertain and occupy younger guests.”
Claire Burgess, Norland College’s Early Years Consultant said, “Norland College is delighted to be a key partner in developing and delivering the Flying Nanny program with Etihad Airways as both organisations share a mutual respect for children and families.”
Many of these activities derive from a special kit which contains straws, stickers, cardboard and other items which the Flying Nanny uses to teach simple arts and crafts such as creating special greeting cards for friends and family.
The Flying Nanny will also frequently use in-flight service items such as paper cups which can be made into hats and the Japanese art of origami to fold paper into sculptures. All activities are designed so the Flying Nanny can leave the children to produce and complete on their own.
One of the onboard highlights is set to be the creation of sock puppets which use stickers from the Flying Nanny kit as eyes and the socks from the guest’s travel pack.
In addition to the arts and crafts, the Flying Nannies can also teach children simple magic tricks helping to keep them entertained while seated.
For older children, the Flying Nanny is equipped with simple quizzes and challenges to keep them occupied as well as taking them on tours of the galley during quieter moments of the flight.
Towards the end of the flight the Flying Nanny will help parents by replenishing milk bottles, and offering items such as water, fruit and other snacks especially if the family is transiting to another flight.
The Flying Nanny will also inform families transiting at Abu Dhabi about the various baby changing and child facilities at the airport, as well as advising them of the children’s play area in the premium lounges and at Gate 32 in Terminal 3.


Centara Grand Phratamnak offers stunning aquariums for hotel guest enjoyment

Underwater World Fantasy Holiday by Tulip Group

Tulip Group’s stunning new hotel Centara Grand Phratamnak Resort Pattaya, which is due to open in late October, has recruited a professional aquarium specialist to take care of the giant marine life features that will form such a distinctive part of the elegant hotel lobby and reception area.
Two large aquariums, one themed as a predator tank with black tip sharks, stingrays and groupers, the other as a coral reef with exotic species such as angel fish and butterfly fish, will be illuminated with special lighting to impart an underwater world ambience to the ground floor areas.
Patricia Campos Salaberri, who is from Spain, studied aquaculture production at the Instituto Gallego de Formacion en Acuicultura (IGAFA) in Pontevedra. Ms. Salaberri holds a PADI advanced diving license and a coastal skipper certificate.
Dominique Ronge, general manager of the five-star hotel, says that the marine feature forms the focal point of the ground floor, and will contain a great variety of species.
“We had already begun preparing these impressive glass tanks before Ms. Salaberri arrived, working with professional suppliers, and they know exactly what their ocean wildlife species need in order to thrive, we are sure they are going to be of huge enjoyment to all of our guests” said Dominique.


After THAI incident, Suvarnabhumi Airport to get new runway

Heavy traffic at Suvarnabhumi Airport and Sunday’s incident with a disabled Thai Airways International aircraft which closed a runway for three days compels the Airports of Thailand (AoT) to build a new runway as soon as possible.
Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt insisted that Suvarnabhumi Airport needs a third runway to ease traffic congestion and to be prepared for emergencies.
THAI flight TG679 from Guangzhou skidded off Suvarnabhumi Airport’s eastern runway Sunday night, forcing its closure until Wednesday night, causing delays to hundreds of flights.
Chadchart said the new runway would not be longer than 3,000 meters following AoT’s recommendation that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) would be compulsory if it is longer than 3,000 meters.
However, AoT should conduct an EIA in conjunction with the construction, bearing in mind the possible impacts on people, he said.
Sita Divari, AoT board chairman, said AoT would strictly follow the Transport Ministry policy and would conduct an EIA during the construction.
He said the third runway would be reserved for emergency use.
AoT directors discussed the matter Tuesday together with building a new runway for Phuket Airport, he said.
Marisa Pongpattanapun, chairwoman of the Airline Operators Committee (AOC), said the third runway is necessary to prevent landing and takeoff delays as much as possible.
The transport minister has appointed a fact-finding committee to investigate the THAI’s airbus A330-300 incident. It took 65 hours for the aircraft to be moved from the runway to a hangar.
The committee was instructed to submit its report within two weeks in order to find measures to effectively handle such an incident at all airports in the future.
The committee must find out whether passengers were transferred from the aircraft in accord with required procedures, whether the media crisis management including covering the THAI logo after the accident was appropriate, and whether the post-accident aviation management was correctly done. (MCOT)


THAI and Bangkok Airways co-host AAPA Emergency Response Conference 2013

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) and Bangkok Airways recently co-hosted the AAPA Emergency Response Conference 2013, organized by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) 3-4 September 2013 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Bangkok.
Dr. Sorajak Kasemsuvan (third from left), THAI President; Andrew Herdman (fourth from right), AAPA Director General; Thavatvong Thanasumitra (third from right), Bangkok Airways, Executive Vice President, Corporate Planning and Member of the Board, were present at the opening ceremony which was presided over by Teeraphong Rodprasert (fourth from left), Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport.
Topics addressed at the conference included airline perspectives on business continuity, how airport authorities integrate preparedness, global perspectives on health pandemics in crisis management, forensic issues in airline disasters, legal and security issues in crisis management, experiences of care team members and crisis communications.


HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]

Etihad Airways boosts services for young families with introduction of Flying Nanny

Centara Grand Phratamnak offers stunning aquariums for hotel guest enjoyment

After THAI incident, Suvarnabhumi Airport to get new runway

THAI and Bangkok Airways co-host AAPA Emergency Response Conference 2013