Etihad Airways Begins Butler Training for A380 Residence Suites

An Etihad plane in London

Etihad Airways announced the start of its butler program as the airline’s first-ever butlers began their training at the Savoy Butler Academy in London.

Once trained, the butlers will work on board the airline’s new Airbus A380 aircraft that are coming with three-room cabins called the Residence.   The Residence will feature a living room, private shower, and bedroom.  Etihad will receive the first of its ten A380s in December.

The butlers will undergo a three-week course covering food and wine, international protocol and etiquette, VIP guest care, valet skills, and managing travel arrangements.  They will receive instruction for two weeks and spend the third week at the Savoy Hotel in London.

The course is intended to prepare them to cater to the individual tastes and requirements of the Residence cabin’s passengers and “to provide levels of discretion, dedication, and sophistication hitherto not experienced by the modern airline traveller,” the airline said.

The new butlers were previously in-flight chefs or food and beverage managers at the airline.  Etihad’s Airbus A380 inaugural flight will take place on December 27, 2014.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)