Etihad Airways has this week opened an aviation-themed nursery in Abu Dhabi as part of the airline’s commitment to providing quality service for employees.
The new nursery joins a range of services provided for Etihad employees in order to support welfare and wellbeing, including the recently launched ambulance service, a medical centre, accommodation assistance and educational support.
The nursery is operated by the Kids Academy, which offers educational support in line with the Ministry of Social Affairs guidelines for early years’ education in the UAE, including communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development.
Etihad Airways’ chief people and performance officer Ray Gammell officially opened the nursery, along with director of the Child’s Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs Moza Al Shoomi, Kids Academy UK founder Sue Jones, Kids Academy UAE chairman Khalifa Faraj Bin Hamoodah, Kids Academy group nursery director Samantha McClements and Etihad’s flying nannies and cabin crew.
“The new on-site nursery will provide highest quality of care for the children, while helping our working parents and their families to balance the roles and responsibilities of parenting with the demands of full-time work,” Gammell said.
As well as a nursery, the facility also operates an out-of-hours ‘stay and play’ cr√®che service, allowing parents to leave their children in expert care during both the working week and weekends.
Spanning an area of 740 square metres, the nursery can accommodate up to 100 children between the ages of six weeks and four years, and is managed by a team of 30 fully-trained nursery assistants and teachers.
Throughout the various rooms in the nursery, including a toddlers room indoor play area and early learning classroom, there are a range of aviation-themed features.
The windows and doors match those of an aircraft, and fluffy clouds hang from the ceiling, while the walls are decorated with aircraft and cabin crew signs.
“Parents at Etihad Airways now have a convenient nursery facility which meets their requirements and nurtures children according to the highest international standards,” Etihad Airways’ HR business partner Sanaa Al Daoumy said.
Left to right: Khaled Al Mehairbi, Etihad Airways’ Senior Vice President of Government and Aero Political Affairs; Sue Jones, Kids Academy UK Founder; Ray Gammell, Etihad Airways’ Chief People and Performance Officer, Khalifa Faraj Bin Hamoodah, Kids Academy UAE Chairman; Moza Al Shoomi, Director of the Child’s Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs; and Rob Jones, Kids Academy UK Founder
Children pose with Etihad Airways’ flying nanny at the launch of the Etihad Airways Nursery
Children inside Etihad Airways’ aviation-themed nursery in Abu Dhabi
