Passengers flying United Arab Emirates’ Etihad Airways can now choose between European and Arabian cuisines.

Part of its “inspired service,” these gourmet meals are served a-la-carte or through fixed menu and kitchen menus anytime.

Etihad Airways is a five-year-old airline based in Abu Dhabi. It has a recorded six million passengers in 2008. It claims to be the first carrier in the Philippines to offer fully flat beds for passengers.

Since the flights from Manila to Abu Dhabi are scheduled at around 1:00 am, breakfast is now being offered to passengers.

“Inspired service means that customer is at the heart of the business,” says Juan Torres, Etihad Philippines country manager.”What matters is the choice of the customer, when and where they want to have it.”

Economy passengers can choose from these meals: grilled eggplant pandesal sandwich, chicken salad pandesal sandwich, porcini custard, mixed bella olives, tomato and onion quiche, vegetable ratatouille, grilled chicken cheese and mushroom omelette and corned beef hash with garlic rice.

Meanwhile, business passengers can pick from various bread choices (plain croissant, banana muffin, marble cake, Arabic breads, loaf bread), a selection of cheese, treacle waffles with caramelized banana, cereals, fine herbs omelette with tomato and watercress salad, chicken tocino with scrambled eggs, steamed rice and asparagus, scrambled eggs, beef sausage, grilled tomato and sauteed field mushrooms.

The airline also offers desserts like pomegranate fruit jelly, ice cream, cream yoghurt with diced pineapple and blueberries and fresh fruits.

Torres says the “inspired service” philosophy was designed two years ago and was implemented last year.