Airbus, manufacturer of the flagship A380 aircraft, has presented Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, with the prestigious award for the best ‘Operational Reliability Performance’ in the first year of A380 operations.

The Etihad Airways A380 fleet recorded an extraordinary 99.8 per cent operational reliability between January and December 2015. This is the highest level of reliability ever recorded by an airline in its first year of A380 operations. Etihad Airways’ A380 operational reliability means only 0.2 per cent of flights were delayed, with no cancellations, in the first year.

The award was presented to Jeff Wilkinson, Etihad Airways’ Senior Vice President, Technical, by Didier Lux, Airbus Head of Customer Service, at a ceremony in Toulouse, France.

In the airline industry, reliability is a critical key to success – from punctuality, revenue and yield maximisation, all the way through to the guest experience.

Jeff Wilkinson said: "This stellar performance is a result of the sheer hard work and commitment to excellence of our engineering teams. Our Entry Into Service, Technical Operations, Engineering, Planning, Logistics, Flight Operations and Guest Services teams, as well as our Airbus colleagues, are to be congratulated for this success. As Etihad Airways is flying the A380 with one of the highest rates of daily utilisation, with a typical turnaround time of only two hours, this achievement is all the more remarkable.

"The success with the A380’s entry into service sets a new standard in excellence that we are striving to repeat with the introduction of the A350 to the Etihad Airways fleet in early 2018."

Didier Lux said: "It is with great pleasure and pride that I hand this award to Etihad Airways today." He added, "This unmatched operational performance in a first year of operating an A380 was made possible due to exceptional team work, the constant push for improvement and forward-thinking. We have set a precedent in A380 operational excellence."

Source:WAM