LONDON: British Airways eclipsed Asia’s leading airlines after the UK flag carrier was named the leading airline for the first time in almost two decades in the OAG Airline of the Year Awards.
BA last won the OAG Airline of the Year Award in 1988 and now ties with Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic in having won the title on five occasions since the inception of the awards in 1982.
BA won the award despite a difficult year punctuated by problems at London Heathrow.
Continental Airlines retained the Best Business Class title for a fifth successive year and Singapore Airlines retained the Best International First Class awards and was voted the best airline in Asia.
Cathay Pacific, last year’s airline of the year, retained its crown as Best Transpacific Airline.
Regional winners for best airline included Singapore Airlines (Asia), Qantas (Australasia / Pacific), Continental Airlines (North America), Aeromexico (Central/South America and the Caribbean), Emirates (Middle East/Indian Sub-Continent), South African Airways (Africa), British Airways (Western Europe), and CSA Czech Airlines (Central/Eastern Europe).
Seoul Incheon International fought off stiff competition to become Best Airport. Korea was a double winner with Korean Air winning Best Economy Class.
JetBlue was Best Low Cost/No Frills Airline for the second time, beating AirAsia, bmibaby, easyJet, Southwest Airlines and Virgin Blue.
TravelMole Asia’s Quick-Off-the-Mark Award for the first PR agency to email details of their client’s OAG ranking was Kong Hoi Ni of Hill & Knowlton Hong Kong.
Hoi Ni wasted no time in informing us that Korean Air won the OAG Airline of the Year Awards for Best Economy Class on its debut appearance in the competition.
