Etihad Airways. Photo: Miguel Lagoa / Shutterstock.com Etihad Airways is preparing to introduce a new lounge design at London Heathrow in summer 2027, marking the beginning of a wider overhaul of its premium airport experience.
The UAE national airline said the transformed Heathrow Lounge will be the first Etihad lounge to fully introduce its new “Beyond Borders” design language. The concept is intended to create a more recognizable connection between the airline’s lounges, aircraft and other parts of the passenger journey.
The Heathrow project will form part of Etihad’s broader investment in its products and customer experience. The airline says the program includes new aircraft, cabin upgrades, lounges, dining, amenities, wellbeing and connectivity.
Etihad has committed US$20 billion to new aircraft and customer experience, including a US$1 billion fleet retrofit program.
The new Heathrow lounge will provide the first complete version of the Beyond Borders design on the ground. Etihad gave visitors at its Arabian Travel Market stand an early look at elements of the concept, including a central feature and a new bar design that will be incorporated into the London lounge.
The airline plans to extend the design approach to additional lounges across its network. Rather than making every location identical, Etihad says the concept will use shared design elements and hospitality principles while allowing individual lounges to reflect their location and purpose.
Each lounge will include dedicated areas for Business and First Class passengers, as well as private suites for passengers traveling in The Residence.
Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer at Etihad Airways, said London Heathrow represents the start of a new stage for the airline’s lounge network.
“Our new lounges are an important part of the Etihad experience and London Heathrow marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter,” De said. “It will be the first lounge to bring our new design language fully to life on the ground, creating a space that feels uniquely Etihad and distinctly connected to Abu Dhabi.”
The Beyond Borders design was developed in Abu Dhabi and takes inspiration from the emirate’s landscape, architecture and development. Etihad describes the concept as “from sand to superstructure,” with materials, textures, lighting and other design elements drawing on the same visual language used for its latest aircraft interiors.
The airline said the approach will create recognizable connections between its aircraft and airport lounges without requiring identical spaces.
The lounge announcement follows Etihad’s recent unveiling of its new A330 cabin and the presentation of its Beyond Borders aircraft design on the A321LR. The developments are intended to bring a common visual identity across different stages of the passenger journey.
London Heathrow is expected to be the first step in the wider expansion of the new lounge concept. Etihad said further developments will follow as the Beyond Borders design is introduced across its network.