Etihad Airways Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has won the prestigious Airline Market Leadership Award at Air Transport World magazine's 40th Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards. The Airline Industry Achievement Awards program, based in the United States, was created in 1974 to recognise excellence across a broad section of airline operations and is widely considered as one of the most coveted in the aviation industry.
James Hogan, Etihad Airways' President and Chief Executive Officer said: "This award is testament to Etihad Airways' continued operational excellence, innovation and policy of sound strategic investments across the entire business.
"We have a firm commitment to our stakeholders to make Etihad Airways the best airline in the world and 2014 is set to be another milestone year for us with the launch of flights to Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth, as well as taking delivery of our first A380 and B787 aircraft. We are delighted to start the year with such recognition." ATW Editor-in-Chief Karen Walker said: "Etihad Airways has delivered another year of double-digit growth, based on a long-term vision and strategy that has seen it become the fastest-growing, full-service airline in aviation history.
"Etihad's innovative partnership strategy has challenged the alliance norm as the industry knows it. Etihad has built more than 40 codeshare relationships and taken minority equity stakes in selected airlines, creating the largest network of any Middle East carrier.
"It has developed from being an airline to becoming a wide-ranging aviation and travel business, with new revenue-adding business streams.
"Under the leadership of president and CEO James Hogan, Etihad's executive team has delivered on a business strategy of ambitious growth while bringing the airline to profitability by 2011, just eight years after its establishment." In 2013 James Hogan received the Executive Leadership award at the Airline Strategy Awards in the United Kingdom.
Etihad Airways was named 'World's Leading Airline' for the fifth consecutive year at the World Travel Awards in 2013.
Last year the airline was also named Global Traveler's Airline of the Year as well as sweeping the board in the Skytrax First Class category.
Source: WAM