For now it will be passengers flying out of Nairobi on Etihad, Abu Dhabi’s national airline, before next year, when the airline plans to launch daily flights to Entebbe and Dar es Salaam, Ugandan, and Tanzanian premium travelers can also take advantage of this latest innovation to provide comfort not only on board but equally on the ground.

Located after the customs area, the new arrivals lounge will offer a range of services for travelers opting to fly to the UAE via the capital city of Abu Dhabi. Trained barbers are available to offer a classic wet shave while shower cabins allow freshening up after a flight into Abu Dhabi. Suits and shirts can equally be spruced up with steam pressing. Snacks and drinks are also available for guests in the lounge before they set out to either go refreshed into their business meetings or else embark on sightseeing or go on a shopping spree in one of Abu Dhabi’s super malls which have of late emerged to rival those better known in Dubai.

Said Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways: “Our latest airport lounge is a milestone for Etihad Airways and has been launched following extensive market research into the requirements of our First and Business Class guests. This facility, the first of its kind in Abu Dhabi, has been specifically designed to meet their needs and our innovative new offerings, such as the clothes steaming service and ‘SHAVE by Etihad Airways,’ will hold particular appeal for guests with early morning arrivals, before hotel check-in hours. Once again, we have benchmarked ourselves against some of the world’s leading hotels and restaurants, while placing the warmth of Arabian hospitality at the heart of the experience.”

Etihad operates daily services between Abu Dhabi and Nairobi in codeshare with Kenya Airways and a few weeks ago announced plans to launch daily Entebbe and Dar es Salaam flights from early 2014. With 210 aircraft on order and 102 on the fleet, Etihad operates flights to 108 destinations around the world with more coming on line as new aircraft are being delivered.