Etihad Airways has taken the top award at this year’s World Travel Awards (WTA, being voted World’s Leading Airline by more than 180,000 travel industry professionals from over 175 countries.
The World Travel Awards recognise the very best airline, hospitality and tourism brands in the world, with industry experts vetting nominations for their customer relations, creativity, quality of service, product innovation and business acumen.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways chief executive, said: “Three years ago, Etihad set itself one clear and simple goal, to be the best airline in the world. I am proud of the way Etihad people all over the world have embraced that vision, supporting our investment in state-of-the-art products by delivering superb customer service.
In addition to being named World’s Leading Airline, Etihad also picked up the award for Leading First Class for the second year in a row.
Hogan said: “Winning the Leading First Class category two years in a row tells us that our commitment to continuous investment in our product and service is the right strategy for us and for our customers.
“As we move into 2010, we intend to cement our place as the world’s best airline, opening up new routes, taking delivery of new aircraft, investing in new products in the air and on the ground, and introducing a range of online initiatives to make travelling with Etihad better than ever,” he added
