Etihad Airways to boost investment in human capital

Etihad Airways said it plans to continue investing in its human capital, with plans to expand its crew briefing centre located by Abu Dhabi International Airport in order to streamline its operations. The crew briefing centre, which became operational in August 2015, is where Etihad pilots and cabin crew check in prior to flights from Abu Dhabi and get briefed on their routes and passengers. Majid Al Marzouqi, VP of flight operations at Etihad, said that having a separate centre outside the airport allows pilots and crew members to mentally prepare for each flight. Prior to the launch of the centre, pilots and crew checked in alongside passengers at Abu Dhabi International. “It’s about investing in the well-being of our crew, investing in being more efficient, and having a more robust process because it can be very stressful to go through these types of mechanisms every day. At the same time, it gives our crew members a more relaxed environment to conduct their duties,” he said. Al Marzouqi said Etihad plans to expand the centre in order to raise its capacity, and is considering moving to a new one closer to the Midfield Terminal, which is yet to be opened. In the past year, the centre handled a total of around 1.2m check-ins. <br/>