ALITALIA, Italy's leading carrier, and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, officially received the plot for their joint pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 on Monday. The two airlines are Official Global Carriers of the large-scale event, which will be held on May 1 to October 31 next year, and will construct a 1,150 square meter pavilion, located next to Palazzo Italia in the heart of Expo Milano 2015.
The pavilion structure will be divided into two floors, each measuring almost 575 square meters. The ground floor will serve as a Social Hub, open to all Expo Milano 2015 visitors. This area will be driven by modern technology, providing guests with full connectivity to delve into the social media world and learn more about the destinations, aircraft, products and services of both carriers, as well as the event's key themes.
The first floor will include an exclusive lounge, where top Alitalia and Etihad Airways clients and selected guests can relax in a luxurious and comfortable environment, and experience the airlines' award-winning products first hand. A meeting room will also be located on the first floor for private business meetings.
Alitalia and Etihad Airways have planned a number of additional activities for Expo Milano 2015 over the coming months, including media campaigns, social media initiatives, and the sale of Expo Milano 2015 tickets directly through the airlines, with special packages and fares for families, senior customers, business travelers and members of the airlines' loyalty programs. A promotion is already underway for school children and sports clubs that want to visit the event.
Alitalia and Etihad Airways will also play a key role in bringing visitors to Expo Milano 2015, with an estimated eight million attendees traveling to the event by air. The airlines offer the best network to accommodate these visitors and, together with their partners, connect with over 850 destinations worldwide, surpassing those offered by any other competitor.
Alitalia will triple its service frequency between Italy and Abu Dhabi in March 2015 with new daily services from Milan and Venice. Etihad Airways will place its ‘EY' code on both routes, subject to approvals, and connect the services to other destinations across its network.
Following the launch of the new services, the two airlines will offer a combined 70 return flights per week between Italy and Abu Dhabi, with double-daily flights to Milan and Rome, and a daily service to Venice. The next stage of codeshare expansion will include 15 of Alitalia's domestic routes from Rome, subject to approval, offering travelers even more choice and convenience. — SG
