Etihad Airways trials VR technology in ‘future’ airport lounge

Etihad Airways has started trialing SkyLights Aero Virtual Reality (VR) entertainment technology at its flagship First Class Lounge and Spa and Business Class Premium Lounge, at Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Terminal 3. The month-long trial by the United Arab Emirates’ flag carrier will gather customer feedback to determine the airline’s future lounge entertainment offering at Abu Dhabi’s Midfield Terminal. SkyLights, which has offices in San Francisco, Paris and Toulouse, is bringing the latest cinematic VR technology to the inflight and ground experience. Linda Celestino, Etihad Airways vice-president guest experience and delivery, said: “We are constantly investigating ways to enhance our service and hospitality offering on the ground through innovative technology and customisation. By conducting trials such as this, we already understand that modern travellers expect more information and seek increasingly connected and immersive experiences which engage and entertain them on every level. Gone are the days when a premium lounge experience just meant comfortable design, luxurious amenities and fine dining. “The development of this type of technology could also allow us to provide more personalisation and end-to-end entertainment solutions across all customer demographics.” The SkyLights ALLOSKY VR headsets deliver an immersive, HD resolution, cinematic experience in 2D and 3D, featuring intuitive technology for ease of use and noise cancelling headphones. Each set has a battery life of over six hours and there is a catalogue of films and TV programmes.