Etihad training 'flying nannies'

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Dubai: Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has come up with a unique in-flight child care assistance programme in its long haul flights for families who travel with their children. Parents with their children on board will have the assistance of "Flying Nannies" who will aim to provide a "helping hand" to families through various creative programmes which will help retain the child's interest while seated and make their parents' long journey as relaxing as possible, the airline said.
Identified in bright orange aprons, the flying nannies will be attending to children through various interactive activities such as introducing children to animal character series by Etihad - Zoe the bee, Jamool the camel, Kundai the lion and Boo the panda.
Other such activities include teaching arts and crafts such as creating special greeting cards, making use of service items such as paper cups which can be made into hats, and the Japanese art of origami to fold paper into sculptures.
Another key on-board highlight is set to be the creation of sock puppets which will use stickers from the flying nanny kit as eyes and the socks from the guest's travel pack. In addition to the arts and crafts, the flying nannies will also teach children simple magic tricks.
During the past two months 300 Etihad Airways cabin crew members have completed enhanced training for the role from Norland College. A further 60 will be trained in September and 500 Flying Nannies will be working across Etihad Airways flights by the end of 2013.
"Flying with a young family can be a daunting task, even for the most experienced travellers, and the flying nanny role demonstrates our understanding of our guests' needs and our commitment in making the journey as relaxing and comfortable as possible," Aubrey Tiedt, Etihad Airways' Vice President Guest Services, said.
Besides attending to the minors, the flying nanny programme will also keep older children occupied with simple quizzes and challenges as well as taking them on tours of the galley during quieter moments of the flight.