Cathay Pacific wins three world travel awards, including ‘Asia’s Leading Airline’
Cathay Pacific Airways has added to its list of major awards this year by lifting three titles in the annual World Travel Awards – one of the most prestigious events on the travel industry’s calendar.
Cathay Pacific was awarded “Asia’s Leading Airline,” “Asia’s Leading Business Class Airline,” and “World's Leading Use of In-flight Technology” at a glittering black-tie ceremony on Sunday night at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. The awards were received on behalf of the airline by Cathay Pacific General Manager Europe Chitty Cheung.
Award winners were based solely on the result of a world-wide poll of travel industry professionals in more than 140 countries. Voting ran from May through September this year with more than two million ballots cast online. Finalists were whittled down from 3,500 initial nominations.
“Winning three awards ‘Asia’s Leading Airline,’ ‘Asia’s Leading Business Class Airline,’ and ‘World's Leading Use of In-flight Technology,’ is testament to Cathay Pacific’s world-class commitment to the travel industry,” said Graham Cooke president and founder of the World Travel Awards.
“The Asia-Pacific has one of the greatest concentrations of world-class airlines, and for Cathay Pacific to be ahead of the competition across the region and be awarded ‘Asia’s Leading Airline’ is quite a feat. It really shows that their offering to passengers is a winning formula recognised by travel professionals across the globe,” Mr Cooke added.
“With more innovations in in-flight technology this year, such as live TV and wireless Internet and increasingly sophisticated entertainment systems, staying ahead of the pack and being awarded ‘World's Leading Use of In-flight Technology’ is also a significant endorsement to Cathay Pacific’s investment in this area. The awards also come at a landmark time for Cathay Pacific as next year will mark the 60th anniversary of the airline's founding.”
The World Travel Awards cover all sectors of the global travel industry. The awards date back to 1993 when Mr Cooke saw the need for a truly worldwide ceremony that rewarded an increasingly globalised industry.
“Voted for independently by travel professionals worldwide, our award winners are having a major impact and influence on the world’s travel and tourism industry. They are the true innovators and benchmarks for our trade, especially in the areas of customer service, technology, operational efficiency, product offering and style,” said Mr Cooke.
Earlier this year Cathay Pacific won the endorsement of global travelers when named “Airline of the Year 2005” in the world’s biggest passenger poll conducted by UK-based Skytrax Research. Cathay Pacific was last month named “Airline of the Year” by regional travel trade members in the TTG Asia Travel Awards.
Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen said: “Winning not one, but three, World Travel Awards is a rare honour. To come top in global polls of both passengers and travel professionals in the same year reflects our commitment to set the industry standard for service and is a tribute to the hard work and commitment of all our staff. As the airline of Hong Kong we will continue to work to strengthen the city as a global hub and gateway to the Chinese Mainland.”
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