Etihad Airways Named World’s Leading Airline

Graham Cooke, president and founder of the World Travel Awards, with Peter Baumgartner, Etihad’s chief commercial officer, celebrating winning the title for “World’s Leading Airline” and “World’s Leading First Class” airline at the World Travel Awards.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, shined at the World Travel Awards, yesterday, 12 December, taking the World’s Leading Airline title for the fourth year in a row. The awards were announced at a gala event at the Oberoi Gurgaon in New Delhi, India.

Etihad Airways also received recognition for its Diamond First Class product, named the World’s Leading First Class.

The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to seek out and reward the very best travel organizations in the world, acknowledging the elite organizations in their respective fields through a global industry vote. In 2012, nearly 650,000 votes were cast by travel professionals from 191 countries. The World Travel Awards have achieved top industry status and been named by the Wall Street Journal as the “Oscars of the Travel Industry”.

Etihad Airways 2012 highlights:

• In addition to 29.21 per cent ownership of airberlin acquired in December 2011, new equity partnerships for 2012: 40 percent stake in Air Seychelles; 10 percent stake in Virgin Australia; and 2.987 per cent stake in Aer Lingus.

• 12 new code share partners, for a total 41 partnerships, bringing Etihad Airways’ route network to 329 destinations, more than any other Middle East airline.

• New routes announced: Basra, Iraq (April 2012); Lagos, Nigeria (July 2012); Addis Ababa, Ethopia; Ahmedabad, India (November 2012); Washington, D.C. (March 2013); Sao Paulo, Brazil (June 2013); and Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (October 2013).

• New international call center opened in Manchester, UK.