Emirates is set to close another year on a high triumphant note, its teeming trophy cabinet now making space for two more major international awards recently won in the fiercely-contested Business Class category.
In Europe, the airline scooped up the ‘Best Business Airline’ accolade, bestowed by readers of UK national daily and Sunday newspapers, the Guardian and Observer, and the website Guardian Unlimited; while in Asia it won the eagerly sought after ‘Best Airline – Business Class’ from TTG Asia.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates' Executive Vice President Commercial Operations Worldwide, said: "We cherish every award we receive, and these two in particular represent a powerful endorsement from the discerning business traveling community and our travel trade partners in major regions of the world. Both these awards are extremely timely, as passengers begin to enjoy our recently launched new generation of lie-flat Business Class seats. Our customers and industry partners play a pivotal role in our success and both awards signify our across-the-board appeal.”
Emirates’ Business Class competes successfully for a significant share of the passenger traffic by excelling in comfort, service and attention to detail. Exclusive check-ins, fully-equipped lounges, including dedicated Emirates Lounges at major airports around the world, and personal satellite telephones on every seat inflight ensure its business passengers never waste valuable time. Top-notch cuisine and beverages create a fine dining experience both inflight and on the ground, and combined with the latest movies and entertainment, help passengers to unwind and relax.
The Best Business Airline award was presented to Emirates at the Castle of Good Hope, in Cape Town, South Africa in a ceremony hosted by Guardian Newspapers.
Emirates received the Best Airline – Business Class award at TTG Asia's 17th Annual Travel Awards 2006 gala event held in Pattaya, Thailand, which was attended by top executives from the world's leading airlines and travel companies. The awards were based on readers' polls in TTG Asia, TTG China, TTGmice and TTG-BTmice China.
Emirates also went on to bag the second spot in the Top International Route Airlines category at the 19th Annual Reader’s Choice Awards celebrated by Conde Nast Traveler. The results are derived from the largest independent poll of consumers’ preferences, the Readers’ Choice Survey, second in size only to the U.S. Census.
Since its inception, Emirates has won more than 300 international awards spanning its entire range of operations. The airline currently offers 91 non-stop flights per week from Dubai to UK – five services a day to London Heathrow, triple dailies to London Gatwick, double dailies to Manchester and Birmingham, and a daily service from Glasgow.
This year it has expanded its presence in the Asia Pacific and now serves 18 destinations in the region with 129 weekly flights. Emirates operates 19 weekly flights between Dubai and Bangkok; 10 weekly flights between Bangkok and Hong Kong; and daily flights between Bangkok and Sydney as well as Auckland.
About the Guardian and the Observer
The Guardian is the UK’s only full-colour national newspaper, whilst the Observer is the UK’s oldest Sunday newspaper, and has been in production for over 200 years. The two publications have a combined circulation of over 830,000, and Guardian Unlimited reaches over 12 million people each month.
About TTG Asia
TTG Asia is the premier travel trade newspaper in the region. Along with TTG China, TTGmice and TTG-BTmice China, they enjoy the widest circulation of over 61,000 copies to readers every week. With in-depth analyses and incisive editorials, TTG Asia focuses on the needs and interests of travel agents and boasts the largest network of editorial staff and correspondents across Asia.
