Gulf Air has added one more award to its stack by winning the 'Operational Excellence Award' from Airbus.
The award is bestowed on Gulf Air for its consistent performance throughout 2003 to 2005, amongst all airlines that have A330 aircraft.
In a brief ceremony held at Gulf Air Headquarters in Muharraq, Airbus Vice President Customer Support Jean Daniel Leroy presented the award to Gulf Air Vice President Technical Abdulkhaliq Saeed. They were joined by Airbus Resident Customer Support Manager Alain Deninotti based in Abu Dhabi and Customer Support Director Paul Klaassen.
"Gulf Air has once again proved that it is not only the best airline for its catering and service excellence but also for its technical and operational excellence," says Mr Saeed.
"The fact that the award is given to airlines based on revenue flight hours, revenue take-offs, number of chargeable operational interruptions and average delay time speaks for Gulf Air's operational excellence."
In its biennial A330/A340 Family Symposium held recently at Sun City, South Africa, Airbus chose Gulf Air for the award. The awards are given in five categories and Gulf Air was chosen as the best operator in the A330- small fleet operator category. Other categories include A330 large fleet, A340 small fleet and A340 large fleet category.
The awards are based on airline fleet performance data, which are computed according to a programme run by Airbus, taking into account the annual average utilisation per aircraft in hours and cycles, and average delay duration. The parameters are compared for each airline to the fleet average and the best airline is chosen in each category.
Gulf Air wins the award for the second time. It received the Airbus Operational Excellence Award for 2000/2001, the only airline in the region to receive the award then.
About Gulf Air
Founded in 1950, Gulf Air, owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman, is the only truly Pan Gulf carrier in the Middle East region.
The regional, geographic and cultural values that the airline has embraced over more than half a century are still central to defining its brand and service ethos.
Today the airline’s network stretches from Europe to Asia and covers 46 cities in 32 countries. The fleet comprises 34 aircraft and has the distinct advantage of possessing the strongest network across the Middle East.
A platform for sustained commercial operation has been established over the past three years as part of a multi-phased turnaround programme. It has also provided a framework for a succession of innovative products and services including the unique Sky Chefs and Sky Nannies that form part of Gulf Air’s ’smart airline, successful business’ vision.
International recognition has been achieved as a result of the turnaround programme leading to numerous awards for the airline’s innovative and high quality products and services: These include:
• Best Onboard Catering in First and Business Class (Skytrax World Airline Catering Awards 2005)
• Best designed in-flight magazine (American Creativity Awards,2005)
• Middle East Leading First Class Airline (World Travel Awards 2005)
• World’s Leading Airport Lounge (World Travel Awards 2005)
• Middle East & North African Platinum Best Airline (MENA Travel Awards 2004
• Most Improved Airline (Skytrax Awards 2004)
• Middle East First Class Airline (Arabian Business Awards)
• Best new product launch for in-flight services (PAX international Readership Awards)
• Best First Class Onboard Food (Skytrax Food Category 2004)
• Best Business Class Check-in (Skytrax Check-in Category 2004)
• Middle East region’s best airport restaurant for its restaurant in Bahrain International Airport lounge (PAX International Readership Awards 2005)
