Etihad Airways became the first airline on Thursday (April 23) morning to depart from Frankfurt Airport's newly opened Terminal 3, as flight EY 122 took off for Abu Dhabi.
At the controls was
Captain Majed Al Marzouqi, Etihad's Chief Operations and Guest Officer, who
took the seat as operating captain for the flight.
Before boarding,
Captain Al Marzouqi joined Fraport Chief Technology Officer Dr Pierre Prümm for
a ribbon-cutting at the gate.
The morning also held
a surprise for one couple from Limburg, heading to Singapore for their holiday.
Captain Al Marzouqi greeted
them at the gate with an upgrade to Business for the flight to Abu Dhabi.
For Etihad guests
travelling through Frankfurt, Terminal 3 marks the start of a noticeably
different airport experience.
Check-in and security
are housed in bright, open spaces flooded with natural daylight through
floor-to-ceiling windows.
A central marketplace
spanning 6,000 square metres brings together restaurants, shops and lounge
seating with direct views over the apron - giving guests more to enjoy
before they board.
Families travelling
with children will find dedicated play areas, while business travellers can
make use of quiet workstations before departure. A new Skyline rail link
connects all three Frankfurt terminals.
Captain Al Marzouqi said:
"Etihad has been flying between Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt since 2005, and
today the airport opened a terminal that changes the experience for everyone
passing through it. We're glad to be the first airline to depart from it
- and glad our guests will be the ones to enjoy it."
Dr Prümm said:
"Frankfurt Airport is one of the most important airports in Etihad's
European network. We've worked closely together for many years, and it means a
lot to us that Etihad is the first airline to depart from Terminal 3 on this
day."
Etihad currently
operates two daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt on the Boeing 787
Dreamliner. -TradeArabia News Service