Air New Zealand named airline of the year by Air Transport World

Air Transport World has selected Air New Zealand as the 2012 Airline of the Year in the ATW 38th Airline Industry Achievement Awards.

This year’s ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards winners also include AirAsia (Value Airline of the Year); QantasLink (Regional Airline of the Year); All Nippon Airways (Airline Technology Leadership); former IATA DG Giovanni Bisignani (Decade of Excellence); Etihad Airways (Passenger Service); Transaero Airlines (Airline Market Leadership); and Alaska Airlines (Joseph S. Murphy Industry Service).

Air New Zealand has risen to the top tier of the industry in a host of areas, including market position, product innovation, yield and social media to make the airline an industry trendsetter. ATW editors also cited Air New Zealand’s commitment to operating a very young and highly fuel-efficient fleet. The carrier becomes a twice winner of the Airline of the Year award.

Inaugural winner of a new category, Value Airline, is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based AirAsia, which paved the way for low-cost air travel in the region.

Australia’s QantasLink is Regional Airline of the Year for its perfect safety record and longstanding commitment to delivering excellent customer service to remote and hostile regions of Australia.

The Airline Technology Leadership award goes to ANA for its role in the development and design of the Boeing 787, for which it is the launch customer.

This year, the editors introduced a Decade of Excellence award to recognize an individual’s outstanding contribution to the airline industry. The inaugural winner is former IATA DG Giovanni Bisignani, who crafted some of the greatest changes seen in the industry, such as introducing the IATA Operational Safety Audit.

Etihad Airways received the Passenger Service award for excellent customer service product and offering of a premium service across all cabins.

The Airline Market Leadership award goes to Transaero Airlines and recognizes the carrier's sustained growth that has made it Russia’s second largest carrier.

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines receives the Joseph S. Murphy Industry Service Award for its numerous environmental and corporate-giving initiatives through charities such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Angel Flight West, Special Olympics, and Shriners Hospitals for Children.

ATW editors will present the awards at a Gala Awards Presentation Dinner Feb.13 at the Pan Pacific in Singapore.

(Karen Walker - ATWOnline News)