Etihad Airways Wins ‘World’s Leading Airline’ Award for Eighth Year Running

Etihad Airways Vice President Guest Services Linda Celestino and Manager Marketing Communications Abdulrahman Al-Hadhrami accept the awards for ‘World’s Leading Airline’ and ‘World’s Leading Airline – First Class’ during the 23rd World Travel Awards held in the Maldives.

Etihad Airways has once again collected the “World’s Leading Airline” award at the 23rd annual World Travel Awards, WTA, Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2016 held in the Maldives. This is the eighth year in a row that the airline has received the prestigious accolade.

Etihad Airways also received the award for “World’s Leading First Class”. The airline’s First Class service and hospitality offering has consistently been voted best in the world by leading publications, research consultancies and customer satisfaction surveys.

The World Travel Awards are considered the ‘Oscars’ of the travel industry and hundreds of thousands of WTA voters, both from within the hospitality industry and among the public at large, cast more than 1.2 million votes during the Grand Tour 2016.

“Our commitment to rewriting the rulebook and transforming air travel is being recognised and rewarded year after year. We are proud to once again be receiving these two prestigious awards for what we believe to be the world’s finest airline experience”, Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, said.

World Travel Awards President, Graham Cooke, said, “Once again it is Etihad Airways that leads the way in global aviation. World Travel Awards voters, from both within the travel industry and among the public at large, have recognised the UAE flag-carrier as the best in the business for the eighth consecutive time. It is a richly deserved honour.”

In recent years, the airline has also won numerous awards for its First Class, most recently receiving the World Travel Awards Middle East accolades for ‘Middle East’s Leading Airline – First Class’, and ‘Middle East’s Leading Airport Lounge’ for its spectacular First Class Lounge & Spa at Abu Dhabi International Airport, adding to a long list of major global award wins.