world best airlines

British Airways

2009-12-02T05:01:00.002-08:00

British Airways has officially confirmed that it will be reducing capacity to India for the Summer 2010 IATA season i.e. from March 29th 2010. The main highlights are as follows:

BLR - capacity reduced from a daily B 744 to daily B 772ER.

HYD - capacity reduced from 5 weekly B 772ERs to 5 weekly B 763ERs.

BOM - capacity reduced from daily B 744 + daily B 772ERs to double daily B 772ERs only.

Austrian Airlines

2009-12-02T05:01:00.001-08:00

Austrian Airlines has officially revealed major changes to its medium haul and long haul route network for the Summer 2010 IATA season. The main highlights are as follows:

NRT - frequencies increased from 6 weekly to daily nonstop flights using a B 772ER.

EBL - frequencies increased from 5 weekly to daily flights.

TLV - capacity increased from double daily A 321s to double daily B 763ERs.

DAM - frequencies increased from daily to 10 times per week using an A 320.

CAI - capacity increased from daily A 319 to daily A 321.

AMM - frequencies increased from 3 to 6 times per week using an A 320.

TSE - frequencies increased from 3 to 4 times per week using an A 320.

YYZ - will maintain daily nonstop flights using a B 763ER.

A 330-200HGW idea

2009-12-02T04:59:00.002-08:00

During the weekend whilst doing some research, I came across an interesting aircraft called the Airbus A 330-200HGW (High Gross Weight) and its performance capabilities. It has already gotten its first launch customer i.e. Korean Air that has ordered 6 of the type in Feb 2009. Airbus has projected that this aircraft will be a direct competitor to the Boeing 787-800 and is targeting orders from airlines that have been severely effected by its delivery delays. A key component to Airbus's advantage with this aircraft is that any airline that orders it will take delivery of it within 18 months time which is highly attractive.

According to stats available, the A 332HGW can fly nonstop with a full payload of passengers + cargo up to a range of 7000NM (12,800KM). This means that the aircraft can easily fly from the GCC nonstop to PER/ORD, from DEL to SYD/MEL, from ICN to IAH/ORD and from EZE to FRA/MXP/CDG. Hence the purpose of this part of the newsletter is meant to suggest to few airlines why they should seriously consider the A 332HGW for quick delivery within 18 months time and on what routes they would be best served to be utilized on.

For all airlines, the configuration should be 248 seats max in a 2 class configuration i.e. 24 J (2-2-2) + 224 Y (2-4-2). The airlines that should seriously consider ordering the A 332HGW are as follows:

Kuwait Airways; it can replace its entire A 343, AB6 and A 310 fleet and be used also for:

KWI-MNL nonstop which would replace current service flown via BKK
launch KWI-IAD nonstop
launch KWI-YYZ nonstop (for which KU has authority to do so twice a week only though according to 2007 bilateral).
launch KWI-PEK nonstop

Egypt Air; A 332HGWs can be used to:

launch CAI-ORD nonstop.
launch CAI-IAH nonstop.
replace A 342s on NRT sector.
replace B 777 to YUL in the summer.

Royal Jordanian:

A 332HGWs can easily replace entire A 342 fleet and be used to operate all current USA-AMMAN nonstop flights along with YUL and upcoming AMM-HKG nonstop. FYI, A 332HGW pax capacity is same as A 342.

Air India:

launch DEL-SYD/MEL nonstop
launch BOM-JNB-DUR-BOM
replace A 310 on BOM-NBO sector.
replace the B 77L on CDG and NRT routes.
launch HYD-FRA-IAD 3 weekly
launch DEL-ATQ-BHX 4 weekly
launch MAA-FRA-IAH 4 weekly

Ethiopian Airlines:

launch ADD-PEK nonstop
launch ADD-BKK nonstop
*both these routes were ear marked for the B 787

Sri Lankan Airlines:

Can be used to fully replace its entire A 343 and A 332 fleet as the A 332HGW can fly to LHR easily nonstop from CMB which is UL's flagship route. It can also be used to launch new nonstop flights from CMB to Australia and replace older aircraft to NRT.

South African Airways:

Replace all routes currently operated by the inefficient A 342 and replace the A 343 on all Latin American and European bound flights.

Gulf Air:

Out of the newly placed order for 20 A 333s, 8 should be converted to A 332HGWs to fly to MNL (2), Japan (NRT only-2) and USA (ORD/EWR-4) in the future.

Etihad Airways; the routes suited for it in the future are as follows:

AUH-PER
AUH-IAD

Thai Airways

2009-12-02T04:59:00.001-08:00

Thai Airways will be reducing capacity to Dubai from Dec 1st 2009 onwards from a daily A 333 to a daily A 346. This means a reduction of 32 seats per day on the DXB BKK DXB route. FYI, TG's 2 class A 333s seat 299 pax in a 2 class configuration (J and Y) where as TG 's 3 class A 346s seat 267 pax. However, their in flight product on this route will get a big face lift as their A 346 fleet has a first class cabin (which their A 333s dont) in addition to TG's new Y and J class cabin product.

TG too confirmed that it will be increasing its flights to Singapore from Dec 15th 2009 with the addition of a 4th daily nonstop flight. TG will be using an A 333 for this additional daily flight where as its other 3 daily flights are operated by a mixture of A 333s and B 772As.

Thai Airways has officially confirmed that it will be reducing frequencies to BOM-Mumbai from December 2009. Currently, operations were listed as being 13 weekly using B 744s for all flights, however these will be reduced to 11 weekly services using an A 333 four times per week + a B 772A on a daily basis.

Etihad Airways

2009-12-02T04:58:00.002-08:00

Etihad Airways has officially announced that it will be launching flights to Nagoya and Tokyo Narita from Feb 1st 2010 onwards. Flights to NGO will be flown via Beijing four times a week using a 2 class configured A 332 where as the fifth weekly flight will be flown as AUH-NGO-NRT-AUH using a 3 class configured A 332. With regards to its NRT bound flights, they will be flown 5 times a week from AUH (4 nonstop + 1 via NGO) using a 3 class configured A 332.

EY has too confirmed that for the entire IATA Summer 2010 season, it will be reducing capacity to CDG-Paris. Currently, it operated to CDG 10 times per week nonstop using an A 332 seven times per week + an A 346 three times per week. However from March 28th 2010, all 10 weekly flights will be flown using a 3 class configured A 332 seating 216 passengers.

Etihad Airways has officially announced on the GDS that it will be increasing its frequencies to FRA-Frankfurt in a gradual manner from Dec 10th 2009 onwards. Currently, EY operates 10 weekly nonstop flights to FRA, however from Dec 10th, these will be increased to 13 weekly nonstop using a three class configured A 332. Thereafter, a further increase will take place from 13 weekly to double daily effective March 28th 2010 also using 3 class configured A 332s. EY too announced that in leiu of high demand, it will be further increasing its flights to HYD-Hyderabad, India from Jan 1st 2010 onwards from 4 weekly to daily nonstop flights using an A 320.

EVA Air

2009-12-02T04:58:00.001-08:00

EVA AIR of Taiwan has officially announced that it will be increasing frequencies on its popular London Heathrow route that is flown via Bangkok from Taipei with full 5th freedom rights available to the carrier on the BKK-LHR-BKK sector. Flights will be increased from 6 weekly to daily services effective Jan 25th 2010 using a Boeing 777-300ER.

Air India

2009-12-02T04:57:00.002-08:00

Air India's management has officially confirmed that due to cost cutting measures being implemented, it will be suspending all of its flights to NBO-Nairobi, Kenya from January 20th 2010. Currently, the flights are flown nonstop from BOM to NBO using an old Airbus A 310-300. In addition, management has confirmed to the media that one of its flagship routes i.e. Mumbai

Jet Airways India

2009-12-02T04:57:00.001-08:00

Jet Airways of India has officially confirmed that it will be increasing capacity on its popular EWR-Newark route between Nov 20th 2009 and Jan 16th 2010. Current daily services operated via BRU using an A 332 will be replaced by the same daily flights but with using the larger 3 class configured Boeing 777-300ER to cater for higher peak season travel demand to/from India in Dec-Jan. In addition, 9W too has confirmed that it will be launching new 6 weekly nonstop flights from Mumbai to Kathmandu, Nepal using a Boeing 737-800 effective Dec 2nd 2009. The flight schedule is as follows:

9W 266 Dep BOM 0830 Arr KTM 1115

9W 265 Dep KTM 1245 Arr BOM 1530

Hainan Airlines

2009-12-02T04:56:00.002-08:00

Hainan Airlines of China has officially announced that it will be launching 2 new weekly nonstop flights to KRT-Khartoum, Sudan from Nov 20th 2009 onwards. HU will be operating its flight from its PEK-Beijing hub using its flagship Airbus A 340-600 aircraft on TUE and FRI. The flight schedule is as follows:

HU 7915 Dep PEK 0150 Arr KRT 0940

HU 7916 Dep KRT 1350 Arr PEK 0500+1

These flights are expected to negatively impact the market share of EK, EY, ET, QR, MS and GF on the China-KRT sector where there is considerable amount of travel done due to the huge Chinese foreign investment in the Sudanese economy.

Turkish Airlines

2009-12-02T04:56:00.001-08:00

Turkish Airlines has officially confirmed that it will be increasing its flights to New York JFK for the IATA Summer 2010 season from daily to 9 weekly nonstop flights. TK will be using a B 773ER daily + an A 332 twice a week to operate this flights next summer.

Saudia Airlines

2009-12-02T04:55:00.002-08:00

Saudi Arabian Airlines has officially announced that it will be reducing capacity on all of its European bound flights from January 1st 2010 onwards as the carrier looks to adjust capacity with forecasted demand for its flights. Currently, all of its flights to Milan, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Geneva and Frankfurt are operated with Boeing 777-200s. However, all these destinations will see capacity reduced two fold as SV will be henceforth utilizing an Airbus A 320 to operate to all of these mainland EU cities. The only route in Europe that will continue to see its B 777s being used on is London Heathrow.

United Airlines

2009-12-02T04:55:00.001-08:00

United Airlines has officially announced major plans concerning its long haul expansion which will come into effect from the start of the Summer 2010 IATA season. The main highlights are as follows:

ORD/BRU - new daily nonstop flights to be launched using a B 763ER effective March 28th.

IAD/ACC/LOS - new daily flights to be launched using a B 763ER.

IAD/KWI/BAH - new daily flights to BAH will be launched as an extension of the KWI flight using a B 772ER effective April 18th.

Egypt Air

2009-12-02T04:54:00.000-08:00

Egypt Air has officially confirmed on the GDS that it will be suspending its summer seasonal flights to YUL-Montreal as they will be not be renewed for the Summer 2010 season. Usually, it operates 3 weekly Boeing 767-300ERs on the CAI-YUL-CAI route.

On the other hand, MS has officially announced that it will be increasing its flights to NRT-Tokyo in a major manner from May 31st 2010 onwards. Currently, it operates 3 weekly nonstop flights using an aging A 340-200, however from May 31st 2010 onwards, frequencies will be increased two fold to 6 weekly nonstop flights using its brand new Boeing 777-300ERs.

Malaysia Airlines

2009-12-02T04:53:00.000-08:00

Malaysian Airlines has released details of its new flights to Lahore, Pakistan which will be flown from April 2008 from KUL via KHI. Flights will be flown 3 times a week using an A 330-300. The flight timings are as follows :

Flights operate on MON/THU/SAT

MH 170 Dep KUL 15:20 Arr KHI 18:15
MH 171 Dep KHI 19:30 Arr LHE 21:10
MH 171 Dep LHE 22:10 Arr KUL 06:50 +1

American Airlines pulls NY flights to Stansted

2009-12-02T01:44:00.000-08:00

American Airlines has announced it will cancel its short-lived route from New York to Stansted Airport, according to reports.

Due to the global credit crunch and rising fuel costs, the Texas based airline has decided to stop the flights as part of plans to cut costs and downsize.

"This decision is among a number of first-round reductions to American's flight schedule as part of the airline's previously announced plans to reduce capacity in an effort to significantly reduce costs and create a more sustainable supply-and-demand balance in the marketplace," said the airline.

American Airlines will withdraw the route from JFK airport to Stansted Airport on July 2nd, less than a year after it launched the schedule last October in a bid to increase its share of the lucrative trans-Atlantic business market.

Around 45 mainline aircrafts and forty regional jets will be retired to accommodate the airlines commitment to reduce overall capacity.

American Airlines will continue to offer its full schedule of flights between JFK and Heathrow Airport, according to the airline.

American Airlines

2009-12-02T01:37:00.000-08:00

American Airlines (AMR) today announced that it will compete with Delta in offering wireless internet for domestic flights. American is No. 2 in the world in passenger traffic, since Delta acquired Northwest Airlines last year. Dan Garton, American’s executive vice president said they will suit up 300 planes used primarily in the U.S. by the end of the year.
Currently Southwest Airlines (LUV) and JetBlue (JBLU) are experimenting with it on planes flying inside the USA. Average pricing goes as follows: Laptop users pay $12.95 on flights longer than three hours, and $9.95 on shorter ones. Travelers using handheld devices, such as smartphones and PDAs, will pay $7.95 no matter the length of the flight.
It will be interesting to see how flight attendants will be dealing with VoIP calls, since cellphone service is still not going to be allowed on any planes (and hopefully not anytime soon), but services like Skype, gChat and others will voice capabilities have not been officially banned….yet

Delta Airlines

2009-12-02T01:24:00.000-08:00

A Delta airlines customer is reflected in a sign on a baggage check in kiosk October 22, 2009 at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California. Delta Airlines, the biggest airline in the world, reported a third quarter loss of $161 million, or 19 cents a share compared to a loss of $50 million or 13 cents a share one year ago.

World's Biggest Airport

2009-12-02T01:20:00.002-08:00

Beijing’s new international terminal is the world’s largest and most advanced airport building - not only technologically, but also in terms of passenger experience, operational efficiency and sustainability. Completed as the gateway to the city for athletes participating in the twenty-ninth Olympiad, it is designed to be welcoming and uplifting. A symbol of place, its soaring aerodynamic roof and dragon-like form celebrate the thrill and poetry of flight and evoke traditional Chinese colours and symbols.

Located between the existing eastern runway and the future third runway, the terminal building and Ground Transportation Centre (GTC) enclose a floor area of 1.3 million square metres and will accommodate an estimated 50 million passengers per annum by 2020.

Although conceived on an unprecedented scale, the building’s design expands on the new airport paradigm created by Stansted and Chek Lap Kok. Designed for maximum flexibility to cope with the unpredictable nature of the aviation industry, like its predecessors, it aims to resolve the complexities of modern air travel, combining spatial clarity with high service standards.

Public transport connections are fully integrated, walking distances for passengers are short, with few level changes, and transfer times between flights are minimised. Like Chek Lap Kok, the terminal is open to views to the outside and planned under a single unifying roof canopy, whose linear skylights are both an aid to orientation and sources of daylight - the colour cast changing from red to yellow as passengers progress through the building.

The terminal building is one of the world’s most sustainable, incorporating a range of passive environmental design concepts, such as the south-east orientated skylights, which maximise heat gain from the early morning sun, and an integrated environment-control system that minimises energy consumption. In construction terms, its design optimised the performance of materials selected on the basis of local availability, functionality, application of local skills, and low cost procurement. Remarkably, it was designed and built in just four years.

The new terminal, almost 20-per-cent bigger than all five terminals of London's Heathrow Airport combined, features an ultra-modern baggage system and a Canadian-designed shuttle train to help people navigate its vast interior.

The $3.75-billion terminal, one of the most prestigious projects of the Olympic construction boom in Beijing, was built by 50,000 workers who toiled on shifts around the clock. It took only four years to finish the terminal, compared with 20 years for the fifth terminal at Heathrow.

As an interpretation of traditional chinese culture the roof of the airport has a dragon-like form. According to Norman Foster [...] this is a building borne of its context. It communicates a uniquely Chinese sense of place and will be a true gateway to the nation. This is expressed in its dragon-like form and the drama of the soaring roof that is a blaze of ‘traditional’ Chinese colours – imperial reds merge into golden yellows. As you proceed along the central axis, view of the red columns stretching ahead into the far distance evokes images of a Chinese temple.

Beijing, of course, benefited from the police-state powers of the Chinese government, which demolished 10 villages to make room for the new terminal.

The statistics of the new terminal are stunning. The building has 64 restaurants, 84 retail shops, 175 escalators, 173 elevators, 437 moving sidewalks, nearly 300 check-in counters, and a state-of-the-art baggage-handling system that can move 20,000 pieces of luggage at speeds of up to 10 metres a second on 50 kilometres of conveyor belts. The construction required 1.8 million cubic metres of concrete and 500,000 tonnes of steel.

China is planning to have 239 airports by 2020, with 13 of them expected to handle 30 million passengers a year.

Thirty years after economic reforms began, this country has built a series of superstructures that almost seem intended more for the Guinness Book of World Records than cityscapes.

China is home, for instance, to the world's largest shopping mall (the 650,000-square-meter, or seven-million-square-foot, South China Mall); the longest sea-crossing bridge (stretching 36 kilometers, or 22 miles, over part of the East China Sea); the largest hydroelectric dam (the massive Three Gorges project); and the highest railroad (an engineering marvel that crosses the Tibetan permafrost almost 5,000 meters above sea level).

Late last year, Beijing opened what may be the world's largest concert hall, the National Center for the Performing Arts, a $400 million opera house and theater facility twice as big as the Kennedy Center in Washington. Nicknamed The Egg, its titanium dome rises above a wide pool of water.

Beijing International Airport Project description

Located between the existing eastern runway and the future third runway, Terminal 3 and the Ground Transportation Centre (GTC) together enclose a floor area of approximately 1.3 million m2, mostly under one roof. The first building to break the one million square meter barrier, it will accommodate an estimated 50 million passengers per annum by 2020.

Although conceived on an unprecedented scale, the building’s design aims to resolve the complexities of modern air travel, combining spatial clarity with high service standards. It will be friendly and uplifting for the passenger as well as easy to navigate. Comprising three connected, light-filled volumes – T3A, B and C – the simple, symmetrical diagram fans out at either end to accommodate the arrivals and departure halls for T3A (processing terminal and domestic gates) and T3B (international gates). The satellite T3C (domestic gates) occupies the centre of the diagram. This arrangement is an efficient means of maximising the perimeter, so increasing the capacity for aircraft stands, while maintaining a highly compact and sustainable footprint.

Although the length from north to south is three and a quarter kilometres, the visual links between the three elements are maintained by strong sight lines as well as visual connections between the lower level and an open mezzanine level above. All spaces are naturally lit and the generous glazing and skylights maintain a link with the outside and its changing sky. Views along the central axis are marked by the distinctive red columns, which continue along the external edges of the building into the distance, evocative of traditional Chinese temples.

The embracing curved cantilever of the terminal greets passengers arriving by road or from the GTC in a single welcoming gesture. Departures and arrivals are on separate levels. The traditional airport diagram has been inverted at T3B, with arrivals on the upper level, to allow visitors to Beijing to experience the thrill of this dramatic space from the best vantage point.

The single unifying roof canopy is perforated with skylights to aid orientation and bring daylight deep into the building. The colour palette moves through 16 tones from red at the entrance at T3A through to orange and finally yellow at the far end of T3B. This establishes a subtle zoning system that breaks down the scale of the building and enables easy wayfinding. This palette is also applied north to south in the ceiling above the arrivals and departures halls, heightening the sense of curvature in the roof plane.

Connections between T3A and T3B take place on a high speed automated people mover (APM) which travels at up to 80kph, with a journey time of just two minutes. The APM is easily accessed from the main departure level and set within a landscaped ‘green’ cutting, exposed to daylight and views up and through the building, all of which helps to maintain a sense of orientation.

The roof is a steel space frame with triangular roof lights and coloured metal decking. It curves, rising at the midpoint to create a dramatic central cathedral-like space, and tapering towards the edges of the building to provide more intimate areas as passengers travel towards the gates and the aircraft piers. The trusses that support the glazing echo the changing colour system in the roof – shifting from red to orange to yellow. The high transparency of the curtain walling is made possible by extra large mullions, which are generously spaced to allow larger spans of suspended glazing.

The terminal building is one of the world’s most sustainable, incorporating a range of passive environmental design concepts, such as the south-east orientated skylights, which maximise heat gain from the early morning sun, and an integrated environment-control system that minimises energy consumption. Rather than the sprawl of many separate buildings, it uses less land by bringing everything closer together for ease of communication in one efficient structure, yet it is still 17% bigger than the combined floorspace of all of Heathrow’s terminals 1, 2, 3, 4 and the new Terminal 5. In construction terms, its design optimised the performance of materials selected on the basis of local availability, functionality, application of local skills, and low cost procurement.

Light-Bathed Roof

Terminal 3's curved roof contains thousands of skylights. Their orientation to the southeast is intended to maximize the heat gain from the early morning sun, helping to reduce the amount of energy expended by the structure for heating. The golden tint, meanwhile, is meant to evoke the colors of Beijing's Forbidden City, the Ming Dynasty-era imperial palace at the city's center.

Vast Capacity

T3 will in effect double the Beijing Capital International Airport's capacity. By 2015, officials expect the newly enlarged facility to accommodate some 580,000 flights a year, outpacing even Europe's busiest airport, London Heathrow, which churns through some 475,000 flights annually.

Check-In

Terminal 3's nearly 300 check-in desks should be able to process up to 7,000 international passengers per hour.

Cathedral Ceilings

The roof rises at its midpoint to create a dramatic cathedral-like space that has become common in other high-profile airport designs, from San Francisco to London. What separates Beijing's Terminal 3 from other mega-projects, however, is its sheer scale: the roof alone has an area of nearly 4 million square feet.

Baggage System

Despite the airport's scale-which includes 30 miles of high-speed conveyor belts-the estimated time for bags to reach carousels is just 10 minutes.

Etihad Airways

2009-12-02T01:20:00.001-08:00

Etihad Airways jumps into the top ten league for the first time. Etihad Airways was set up as the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates in July 2003 by a Royal decree issued by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Dr Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan was appointed Chairman of the airline.

The Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways is expanding services at a fast pace. On November 12, 2003, the airline started commercial operations with the launch of a service to Beirut. Soon the company started adding one new route a month. By June 2006, it started flying to over 30 destinations.

By 2010, the company plans to fly to 70 destinations. Etihad was the first to launch a direct flight from the UAE to Geneva (June 2004), Brussels and Toronto (October 2005) and first-ever non-stop flight from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg.

Emirates airlines

2009-12-02T01:19:00.002-08:00

Emirates is ranked as the 9th best airline in the world. It is the eighth-largest airline in the world in terms of international passengers carried.

It ranks amongst the top 10 carriers worldwide in terms of revenue, and has become the largest airline in the Middle East in terms of revenue, fleet size, and passengers carried and the eighth largest airline in Asia, in terms of passengers carried.

The airline operates over 3,710 passenger flights per week, to 91 destinations in 55 countries.

During 2007-08, Emirates carried 21.2 million passengers.
The airline was established on 25 May 1985 by the Dubai government and was supported by the founder of the German airline Germania, Hinrich Bischoff, in its initial years.

Air New Zealand

2009-12-02T01:19:00.001-08:00

Air New Zealand is the 8th best airline in the world. It offers passenger and cargo transport services within New Zealand, Australia, the South West Pacific, Asia, North America and the United Kingdom.

Its main hub is Auckland Airport in New Zealand. Air New Zealand began as TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited) in 1940. Today, it has a fleet of 60 aircraft. The airline has gained reputation for innovative and outstanding passenger services at a fair price. Rob Fyfe is the CEO of the company.

Qatar Airways

2009-12-02T01:18:00.002-08:00

Qatar Airways, a 5-star airline is ranked No.7 in the world. It also bagged the award for Best Airline and 'Best Cabin Staff' for the Middle East region and 'Best Business Class Catering' category.

Qatar has seen an average growth of 35 per cent year-on-year for the past 10 years. The airline is known for high quality services. Akbar Al Baker is the CEO. It has a fleet size of 65 aircraft flying to over 80 international destinations.

Malaysia Airlines

2009-12-02T01:18:00.001-08:00

Malaysia Airlines is ranked the 6th best airline in the world. The flag carrier of Malaysia, it operates flights from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its secondary hub in Kota Kinabalu.

Malaysia Airlines maintains a strong presence in Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Middle East and on the Kangaroo route between Europe and Australasia.

Malaysia Airlines has started its operations in 1987 after the airline changed its name from Malaysian Airline System. It was founded on 1947 by Malayan Airways. It started flying operations in 1947. In 1963, the airline was renamed Malaysian Airways Limited. Idris Jala is the managing director & CEO of the airline. It is one of the six airlines to be given a 5-star status airline by Skytrax.

Asiana Airlines

2009-12-02T01:17:00.002-08:00

Asiana Airlines from South Korea is the 5th best airline in the world. It also won an award for world's 'Best Cabin Staff' and award for 'Best Economy Class'.

Asiana Airlines is known to offer one of the best services onboard. Formerly known as Seoul Airlines, Asiana flies to 12 domestic destinations and 73 international destinations in 17 countries worldwide.

Asiana's headquarters and overseas hub is located at Incheon International Airport (near Seoul) and its domestic hub is at Gimpo International Airport.

It has a fleet of 65 aircraft. Asiana was established on 17 February 1988 and started operations in December 1988 with flights to Busan. Asiana was awarded a 5-star rating by Skytrax. Kang Chu-Ahn is the CEO of the company.

Thai Airways

2009-12-02T01:17:00.001-08:00

Thai Airways ranks fourth in the list of top 10 airlines. It also bagged the 4th place for the best cabin staff. Thai Airways International was founded in 1960 as a joint venture between Thailand's domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company (TAC) and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS).

On April 1, 1977, after a 17-year partnership with SAS, the Thai government bought out SAS' remaining 15% holding and Thai became fully owned by the Thai govt. Thai flies to 74 destinations in 34 countries on four continents. It has a fleet size of 88 aircraft. Chaisawasd Kittipornpaiboon is the Chairman of Thai Airways.

Qantas airlines

2009-12-02T01:16:00.002-08:00

Qantas is the third best airline in the world. It also bagged an award for the 'Best First Class Lounge'. Qantas was founded in the Queensland outback in 1920.

It was registered as the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited (QANTAS). The airline has a reputation for excellence in safety, operational reliability, engineering and maintenance, and customer service.
Qantas is known as the world's leading long distance airline and one of the strongest brands in Australia. Its global route network covers more than 675 destinations in more than 130 countries. Geoff Dixon is the CEO.

Cathay Pacific airlines

2009-12-02T01:16:00.001-08:00

Cathay Pacific is ranked 2nd best airline in the world. It also bagged the award for the world's 'Best First Class', for their new onboard 1st Class product and service concept.

Hong Kong's largest airline, Cathay offers passenger and cargo services to 120 destinations worldwide. Cathay Pacific is one of only six airlines worldwide to carry a five-star rating from Skytrax.

Cathay Pacific Airways was founded in Hong Kong on 24 September 1946 by former air force pilots Roy Farrell and Australian Sydney de Kantzow. The Cathay Pacific Group, including Dragonair and Air Hong Kong, now operates more than 150 aircraft to 130 destinations across the world.

Eighteen years after the company was founded, it celebrated carrying one million passengers. Nine years later, in 1973, the airline had a record of one million people every year. Today, the airline flies about one million passengers each month. Tony Tyler is the CEO of the company.

Singapore airlines

2009-12-02T01:14:00.000-08:00

Singapore Airlines has been ranked as the world's best airline for the 3rd time in a decade. The awards are given every year by the Skytrax, which conducts a world airline survey. Singapore Airlines also bagged the award for offering the 'Best Business Class'.

Singapore Airlines took off with three flights per week in the beginning. Today, their network spans across 103 destinations in 41 countries. Singapore Airlines was ranked 17th in 'Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies' rankings in 2007. The airline is known the world over for its innovation, safety and service excellence and profitability.

The airline boasts of excellent inflight telecommunication, entertainment services and luxurious amenities that make flying a memorable experience.

The airline started its services on 1 May 1947. Singapore Airlines is also the first airline to fly the world's largest aircraft, the A380. The average age of the passenger fleet is about 6 years. Chew Choon Sen is the company's CEO.

The World Airline Awards are based on the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax - carried out between August 2007 and June 2008. Which are the other top airlines of the world? Find out...

The Top 10 airlines 2010

2009-12-02T01:13:00.000-08:00

1.Singapore

Singapore Airlines has been ranked as the world's best airline for the 3rd time in a decade. The awards are given every year by the Skytrax, which conducts a world airline survey. Singapore Airlines also bagged the award for offering the 'Best Business Class'.

Singapore Airlines took off with three flights per week in the beginning. Today, their network spans across 103 destinations in 41 countries. Singapore Airlines was ranked 17th in 'Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies' rankings in 2007. The airline is known the world over for its innovation, safety and service excellence and profitability.

The airline boasts of excellent inflight telecommunication, entertainment services and luxurious amenities that make flying a memorable experience.

The airline started its services on 1 May 1947. Singapore Airlines is also the first airline to fly the world's largest aircraft, the A380. The average age of the passenger fleet is about 6 years. Chew Choon Sen is the company's CEO.

The World Airline Awards are based on the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax - carried out between August 2007 and June 2008. Which are the other top airlines of the world? Find out...

2. Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific is ranked 2nd best airline in the world. It also bagged the award for the world's 'Best First Class', for their new onboard 1st Class product and service concept.

Hong Kong's largest airline, Cathay offers passenger and cargo services to 120 destinations worldwide. Cathay Pacific is one of only six airlines worldwide to carry a five-star rating from Skytrax.

Cathay Pacific Airways was founded in Hong Kong on 24 September 1946 by former air force pilots Roy Farrell and Australian Sydney de Kantzow. The Cathay Pacific Group, including Dragonair and Air Hong Kong, now operates more than 150 aircraft to 130 destinations across the world.

Eighteen years after the company was founded, it celebrated carrying one million passengers. Nine years later, in 1973, the airline had a record of one million people every year. Today, the airline flies about one million passengers each month. Tony Tyler is the CEO of the company.

3. Qantas

Qantas is the third best airline in the world. It also bagged an award for the 'Best First Class Lounge'. Qantas was founded in the Queensland outback in 1920.

It was registered as the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited (QANTAS). The airline has a reputation for excellence in safety, operational reliability, engineering and maintenance, and customer service.
Qantas is known as the world's leading long distance airline and one of the strongest brands in Australia. Its global route network covers more than 675 destinations in more than 130 countries. Geoff Dixon is the CEO.

4. Thai Airways

Thai Airways ranks fourth in the list of top 10 airlines. It also bagged the 4th place for the best cabin staff. Thai Airways International was founded in 1960 as a joint venture between Thailand's domestic carrier, Thai Airways Company (TAC) and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS).

On April 1, 1977, after a 17-year partnership with SAS, the Thai government bought out SAS' remaining 15% holding and Thai became fully owned by the Thai govt. Thai flies to 74 destinations in 34 countries on four continents. It has a fleet size of 88 aircraft. Chaisawasd Kittipornpaiboon is the Chairman of Thai Airways.

5. Asiana Airlines

Asiana Airlines from South Korea is the 5th best airline in the world. It also won an award for world's 'Best Cabin Staff' and award for 'Best Economy Class'.

Asiana Airlines is known to offer one of the best services onboard. Formerly known as Seoul Airlines, Asiana flies to 12 domestic destinations and 73 international destinations in 17 countries worldwide.

Asiana's headquarters and overseas hub is located at Incheon International Airport (near Seoul) and its domestic hub is at Gimpo International Airport.

It has a fleet of 65 aircraft. Asiana was established on 17 February 1988 and started operations in December 1988 with flights to Busan. Asiana was awarded a 5-star rating by Skytrax. Kang Chu-Ahn is the CEO of the company.

6. Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines is ranked the 6th best airline in the world. The flag carrier of Malaysia, it operates flights from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its secondary hub in Kota Kinabalu.

Malaysia Airlines maintains a strong presence in Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Middle East and on the Kangaroo route between Europe and Australasia.

Malaysia Airlines has started its operations in 1987 after the airline changed its name from Malaysian Airline System. It was founded on 1947 by Malayan Airways. It started flying operations in 1947. In 1963, the airline was renamed Malaysian Airways Limited. Idris Jala is the managing director & CEO of the airline. It is one of the six airlines to be given a 5-star status airline by Skytrax.

7. Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways, a 5-star airline is ranked No.7 in the world. It also bagged the award for Best Airline and 'Best Cabin Staff' for the Middle East region and 'Best Business Class Catering' category.

Qatar has seen an average growth of 35 per cent year-on-year for the past 10 years. The airline is known for high quality services. Akbar Al Baker is the CEO. It has a fleet size of 65 aircraft flying to over 80 international destinations.

8. Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand is the 8th best airline in the world. It offers passenger and cargo transport services within New Zealand, Australia, the South West Pacific, Asia, North America and the United Kingdom.

Its main hub is Auckland Airport in New Zealand. Air New Zealand began as TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited) in 1940. Today, it has a fleet of 60 aircraft. The airline has gained reputation for innovative and outstanding passenger services at a fair price. Rob Fyfe is the CEO of the company.

9. Emirates

Emirates is ranked as the 9th best airline in the world. It is the eighth-largest airline in the world in terms of international passengers carried.

It ranks amongst the top 10 carriers worldwide in terms of revenue, and has become the largest airline in the Middle East in terms of revenue, fleet size, and passengers carried and the eighth largest airline in Asia, in terms of passengers carried.

The airline operates over 3,710 passenger flights per week, to 91 destinations in 55 countries.

During 2007-08, Emirates carried 21.2 million passengers.
The airline was established on 25 May 1985 by the Dubai government and was supported by the founder of the German airline Germania, Hinrich Bischoff, in its initial years.

10. Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways jumps into the top ten league for the first time. Etihad Airways was set up as the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates in July 2003 by a Royal decree issued by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Dr Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan was appointed Chairman of the airline.

The Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways is expanding services at a fast pace. On November 12, 2003, the airline started commercial operations with the launch of a service to Beirut. Soon the company started adding one new route a month. By June 2006, it started flying to over 30 destinations.

By 2010, the company plans to fly to 70 destinations. Etihad was the first to launch a direct flight from the UAE to Geneva (June 2004), Brussels and Toronto (October 2005) and first-ever non-stop flight from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg.

World's 10 Best Airlines

2009-12-02T01:11:00.000-08:00

SINGAPORE AIRLINES NAMED AIRLINE OF THE YEAR 2010

"Singapore Airlines A380 a clear influence in winning this 2010 Best Airline Award"

"For the 3rd time in 10 years, Singapore Airlines has been named World's Best Airline, winning the 2008 Airline of the Year title in the latest World Airline Awards" said Edward Plaisted (CEO of Skytrax). "We extend our congratulations to them for this notable achievement, coinciding with the time that Singapore Airlines was the world's first airline to fly the Airbus A380."

Over 15 million eligible survey interviews were completed during the 11 month Survey period. From Seoul to Sao Paulo, Copenhagen to Cape Town, the scale and breadth of the 2008 survey further strengthens the well-established reputation as the World's Largest Passenger Survey.

The Top 10 airlines in the 2010 World Airline Awards :

1 Singapore Airlines
2 Cathay Pacific
3 Qantas
4 Thai Airways
5 Asiana Airlines
6 Malaysia Airlines
7 Qatar Airways
8 Air New Zealand
9 Emirates
10 Etihad Airways

Singapore Airlines also collected the Award for Best Business Class in a very competitive section of the survey. "Business Class standards continue to be upgraded by airlines across the world, and Singapore Airlines managed to retain their title amidst this growing level of competition" said Edward Plaisted. "It is the whole business class package that is evaluated, from airport lounges, ground services to the quality of cabin seating, inflight entertainment, catering and of course the cabin staff service."

CEO of Singapore Airlines, Mr Chew Choon Seng said ""We thank our customers who have supported Singapore Airlines once again. We are honoured to receive this award for the second year running. However, we take nothing for granted in our business. This award will inspire every one of us in the company to work harder to exceed our customers' expectations."

Cathay Pacific takes 2nd place overall in the 2008 Awards (up from 3rd in 2007), and picks up the Award for World's best First Class, giving due recognition to their new onboard 1st Class product and service concept.

Cathay Pacific Chief Operating Officer John Slosar said "We are excited about receiving the Best First Class honour, which highlights the strength of our new cabin design as well as the superior service provided by our cabin crew. For the premium market you have to provide something that really stands out from the crowd, and with our new First Class – designed with the right balance of personal attention, interaction and privacy - we believe we’re providing a travel experience that exceeds all expectations."

Qantas is ranked 3rd worldwide (5th in 2007) and collects the Award for Best First Class Lounge - achieved in a period where the airline has seen competition ramped up both in its domestic and regional market. "The global rating for Qantas is interesting" says Edward Plaisted. "When we look at more localised studies, reporting etc, we found that Qantas comes under fire from some media that clearly contradicts a more widespread view of Qantas customers that voted for the airline in the survey. We do find that many countries flag-carrier airlines suffer fairly vitriolic levels of reporting in their local regions, and the airline industry remains a business that some areas of the press seem to love-to-hate!"

Best Airlines By Low Cost

Best Airlines By Cabin Type

"Another closely contested Survey category, the Best First Class Lounge Award is a true recognition of top-end quality being delivered, and Qantas have set a clear benchmark with their First Class facilities at Sydney Airport. This lounge in Sydney is the flagship for Qantas. Designed by Australian Marc Newson, the lounge concept for both product and staff service has been modelled around the finest quality you would expect to find in a 5-star hotel or restaurant, and the best part is that the concept is being so well delivered by Qantas" added Plaisted.

Thai Airways maintained a strong ranking, placed 4th worldwide (2nd in 2007) together with picking up 4th place in the Best Cabin Staff section of the Awards.

Asiana Airlines was one of the biggest improvers across the 2008 results, ranked 5th worldwide (up from 12th in 2007), as well as taking the sought-after World's Best Cabin Staff Award and also collecting the Award for Best Economy Class. "This is clearly an airline on the move upwards" says Edward Plaisted. "Smaller than it's national counterpart Korean Air, Asiana Airlines are developing an ever-increasing level of customer support, achieving some of the highest levels of customer satisfaction across today's airline industry. Some innovative cabin service concepts clearly contribute towards their success, but it is more apparent that Asiana Airlines is gaining a worldwide reputation based on the concept of superb customer service."

Malaysia Airlines ranked 6th worldwide (as in 2007), and was also the very close runner-up for the title of World's best Cabin Staff. "Repositioning itself during 2007 as the 5-star value carrier, we see it as a real achievement for Malaysia Airlines to have retained it's high global ranking. For them not win the Best Cabin Staff award is naturally a disappointment, although their hold on that particular award does occasionally have to be relinquished!" said Edward Plaisted.

Qatar Airways is another 5-Star airline achieving a top-10 ranking (placed 7th worldwide), and collecting the Award for Best Airline and Best Cabin Staff for the Middle East region, as well as the Best Business Class Catering category.

The results continue to recognise Qatar Airways ambitious efforts to provide passengers with the best onboard service in the global aviation industry, according to Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Mr Akbar Al Baker, "we place an emphasis on providing the best quality product and service for our passengers, and to have our customers recognise Qatar Airways' efforts in these awards is very satisfying. For an airline that is barely a decade old, we have already achieved phenomenal success. However, Qatar Airways will continue to strive further ahead to reach our ultimate goal of being voted Best Airline in the World. Recognition must also be given to the airline's staff, who are committed to delivering the best levels of service in the skies. It's their efforts which ultimately determine how the airline is judged" added Al Baker.

Air New Zealand is ranked 8th worldwide (7th in 2007), and also collects the 2008 Award for Best Airline Transpacific, ahead of Qantas in that category.

Emirates maintained the same ranking as last year, placed 9th worldwide and offering clear recognition of the airline's aggressive marketing and growth policy. "Echoing the trend of Dubai where everything now has to be the biggest, it is undeniable that Emirates is well recognised around the world" says Plaisted. "Such growth is never an easy time to maintain quality levels, but Emirates has managed to maintain its global rating this year, and can now use its Airbus A380 aircraft to try and impress passengers in the coming year."

"Four must be a lucky number for Emirates, as they pick up the Award for Best Airline Inflight Entertainment for the 4th year in succession. This was another very hotly contested section of the World Airline Survey, and we witnessed the closest finish ever in terms of Emirates final push for 1st place ahead of Singapore Airlines in 2nd. We congratulate Emirates for retaining their distinctive reputation in this Survey category, and determination to remain at the forefront of inflight entertainment concepts" added Plaisted.

Patrick Brannelly, Emirates VP Passenger Communications and Visual Services, said "to win this award for the fourth consecutive year is a fantastic achievement, proving yet again that Emirates’ significant investment in the inflight entertainment product is appreciated by our customers. We also make significant investments in the latest technology to ensure our passengers enjoy not only the widest range of entertainment, but also the capacity to communicate with family and friends on the ground."

A new entrant to the world's Top-10 airlines is Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways, securing 10th position in the 2008 Awards. Following in the footsteps of Emirates and Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways is continuing it's rapid expansion with new route openings and aircraft acquisitions, and is delivering a high quality product and service offering to passengers.

A repeat win was achieved by Virgin Atlantic in being named winner of the Best Business Class Lounge Award, having secured the title in 2007 for their Clubhouse facility at London Heathrow Airport.

Steve Ridgway, Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic said "We’re thrilled that our Heathrow Clubhouse has been chosen as the world’s best haven for business travellers for the second year running. This confirms that our Clubhouse is a real winner with our Upper Class passengers and with the new private security corridor they can now get through to it in record time! Thank you to everyone who voted for us."

Cathay Pacific win the Best First Class Onboard Catering Award, with their new First Class concept clearing being a success with customers. In the year that Austrian celebrates it's 50th anniversary, the airline has another honour to mark the achievement, winning the Award for Best Business Class Onboard Catering for the second year running. Austrian has developed a very strong reputation amongst customers for the high standards of long-haul business class catering, and their gourmet cuisine prepared by Do & Co continues to impress. Qantas was named winner of the Best Economy Class Onboard Catering Award, based on their longer haul, international operations.

Dragonair was named Best Regional Airline SE Asia - the first time the carrier has won in this category. "It is a great honour for the airline to receive this award. It shows that Dragonair is being recognised not only in Mainland China - our key market - but also in Southeast Asia. This is a resounding recognition of our product and service quality both inflight and on the ground. Credit must go to all our staff for working to provide the very best service experience," said Dragonair Chief Executive Officer Kenny Tang.

CSA Czech Airlines celebrate being named as Best Airline Central Europe for a consecutive time, as well as picking up the Award for Best Cabin Staff Central Europe. Czech Airlines President, Radomír Lašák, commented on the award "We very much value our placement in the World Airline Awards ranking, as these honours are awarded on the basis of the votes of millions of passengers from all over the world. The fact that Czech Airlines has maintained its position as the leader in the region, even at a time when a cost crisis is crushing the entire aviation sector, shows that the present situation has no impact on the quality of Czech Airlines’ services and product."

"A strong performer in earlier year Surveys, 2008 is the time for easyJet to truly celebrate as they walk off with the accolade as World's Best Low-Cost Airline" said Edward Plaisted. Commenting on the award, easyJet CEO, Andy Harrison said "It is an honour to be receive the 2008 award. We have an ambition to be recognised as the world's best low fares airline and the global nature of the SKYTRAX survey makes this a very important milestone for us."

Amongst other Awards to low-cost airlines, Air Arabia was named Best low-cost airline Middle East for the second consecutive year. AK Nizar, Head of Commercial at Air Arabia, said "We are extremely pleased to have been named Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East in The Skytrax World Airline Awards 2008. Winning this award for the second consecutive year reinforces our commitment to quality and excellence in customer service. This award is especially significant as it is based on the feedback of our passengers" he added.

The Best in Region and other Best in Category Awards published in this section comprises analysis across all sectors of survey respondent voting, together with the specific Best in Region surveys.

World's Best Airline 2010

2009-12-02T01:06:00.000-08:00

Singapore Airlines - Skytrax

By Infohostels.com staff
Pubblished on 22-Ago-2008
Section TRAVEL INFO

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