The airline behind the flying apartment has a new strategy for attracting first-class and business customers

Etihad

This week, Etihad Airways opened is new premium lounge at Los Angeles International Airport.

For airlines, courting high-end business and first class clientele is an important part of sales strategy. And one of the key elements in the sales pitch is the airport lounge. The new LAX lounge joins Eithad's existing facilities in Washington and New York.

Introduced last December, Etihad Airways' lounge at New York's JFK International Airport is a major piece of the company's arsenal of luxury offerings for the very lucrative New York market.

The lounge is the in-terminal complement to the Etihad's recently launched Airbus A380 service to New York. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier is little more than a decade old, but had grown rapidly in that time.

Earlier this month, noted aviation consumer website Skytrax named Etihad the sixth best airline in the world. However, the airline's US critics allege that much of Etihad's shiny new aircraft and lavish appointments have been fueled by billions of dollars of government subsidies which are in violation of the bilateral agreement that govern air travel between the US and Abu Dhabi.

Etihad Aviation Group CEO James Hogan has repeatedly denied the allegations to Business Insider - each time citing the company's audited financial statements as proof of its profitability as a business.

On its own, Etihad Airways operates a fleet of more than 120 jets from Airbus and Boeing. However, the larger Etihad Aviation Group, which comprises Etihad Airways along with equity partner airlines Air Berlin, Alitalia, Air Serbia, Jet Airways, Etihad Regional, Air Seychelles, and Virgin Australia operate a combined fleet of more than 700 aircraft.

Here's a closer look at Etihad's shiny New York luxury lounge.