Gulf’s ‘big three’ airlines win big with Skytrax
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The Gulf’s ‘big three’ airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, have won a number of Skytrax accolades, cementing their status as the world’s leading carriers.
Leading the charge was Emirates, which on Wednesday was named the World’s Best Airline 2016 at the prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards 2016, in addition to scooping up the awards for World’s Best Inflight Entertainment for a record 12th consecutive year, and Best Airline in the Middle East.
Based on the results of the largest airline passenger satisfaction survey in the industry, the World’s Best Airline Awards are considered a global benchmark of airline excellence. This year’s Skytrax awards were based on a total of 19.2 million completed surveys covering 280 airlines, by customers hailing from more than 104 countries. The Skytrax survey measures quality standards across 41 key performance indicators of front-line products and services in the airline industry.
This is the fourth time Emirates has won the top accolade since the airline awards were introduced 15 years ago; the airline won the first ever Skytrax World’s Best Airline in 2001, again in 2002 and in 2013. In total, Emirates has won a total of 20 Skytrax World Airline Awards since 2001.
Sir Tim Clark, president Emirates Airline, said: “We are honoured to be recognised by the prestigious Skytrax awards. Emirates has always put our customers at the heart of what we do, and we work hard to deliver the very best experience possible to our customers at every touchpoint, every day, all around the world. We constantly invest in our product and services, both on the ground and in the air. We listen carefully to our customers, and then relentlessly challenge ourselves to deliver and exceed expectations. The fact that these awards are based on the direct feedback from passengers is gratifying and wonderful recognition for all of the hard work that’s gone into creating the Emirates experience.”
Qatar Airways proudly accepted three separate accolades at the 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards, which were held at the UK’s Farnborough International Airshow.
Air travellers chose Qatar Airways as the World’s Best Business Class and also voted the airline top for Best Business Class Airline Lounge and the Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East. The consumer-voted awards recognised the airline for its commitment to offering passengers an unrivalled travelling experience.
Qatar Airways group chief executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Our commitment to continued success is unwavering and a testament to the dedication of our global teams. The airline’s renowned service, modern aircraft and luxurious cabins, combined with an expanding global network, continue to set Qatar Airways apart from the competition.”
Etihad Airways received three highly coveted awards for the World’s Best First Class Airline, World’s Best First Class Onboard Catering, and World’s Best First Class Airline Seat for its First Apartments and Suites, at the annual Skytrax awards.
Calum Laming, the airline’s vice president of guest experience, said: “In 2014 we redefined the First Class travel experience with the introduction of a new onboard experience on all flights and the revolutionary cabins on our new fleet of Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. This demonstrates our continuing commitment to First Class flying and to providing innovative and aspirational travel experiences.”
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