SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Raises S$10 billion Of Liquidity

Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced that the Company has raised S$10 billion or 6,3 billion euro of liquidity through its recent Rights Issue, as well as a mix of secured and unsecured credit facilities.

This puts SIA on a steady footing as it tackles the challenges posed by the global Covid-19 outbreak.

SIA secured S$8.8 billion in liquidity through the successful completion of the rights issue on 5 June 2020.

And more S$900 million was raised through long term loans secured on some of SIA’s Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-10 aircraft.

Singapore Airlines has also arranged new committed lines of credit and a short term unsecured loan with several banks, which provide further fresh liquidity amounting to more than S$500 million.

Separately, all existing committed lines of credit that were due to mature during the course of 2020 have been renewed until 2021 or later, thus ensuring continued access to more than S$1.7 billion in liquidity.

During this period of high uncertainty, SIA will continue to explore additional means to shore up liquidity as necessary.

For the period up to July 2021, the Company also retains the option to raise up to a further S$6.2 billion in additional mandatory convertible bonds, which will provide additional liquidity if necessary.

Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Goh Choon Phong said. “We are grateful for the strong support of our shareholders for our successful rights issue, which has secured the company’s future amid an unprecedented global health and economic crisis. We are also grateful to our relationship banks for their support in extending additional secured and unsecured loans, as well as committed lines of credit. SIA will remain steadfast and agile during this period of great uncertainty, and continue to act nimbly in responding to the evolving market conditions.”

Singapore Airlines has become the first passenger flight to return to New Zealand after lockdown.

Flight SQ285 touched down in Auckland this afternoon as the airline resumes services in Auckland and Christchurch.

Auckland Airport's general manager for aeronautical commercial Scott Tasker says it's a positive step.

We're really pleased today to have Singapore Airlines restart their services that are carrying passengers.

They're reinstating the ability of people to fly to and from New Zealand via Singapore.

Mr Tasker says it's significant New Zealanders can now return home on commercial flights from a major international hub like Changi Airport and not have to rely on repatriation flights.

However, the return of international flight doesn't mean the immediate return of tourists.

At this stage, anyone coming into New Zealand must be a New Zealand resident or citizen and still require a 14 day quarantine."

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Auckland Airport averaged more than 2000 international flights a month, operated by more than 20 airlines.

In the month of June we expected to have about 101 flights operated by 10 airlines, so the volume of flights have reduced significantly, says Mr Tasker.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is the flag carrier airline of Singapore with its hub at Singapore Changi Airport. The airline is notable for using the Singapore Girl as its central figure in corporate branding.

It has been ranked as the world's best airline by Skytrax four times and topped Travel & Leisure's best airline rankings for more than 20 years.

Singapore Airlines includes many airline-related subsidiaries. SIA Engineering Company handles maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) business across nine countries, with a portfolio of 27 joint ventures, including with Boeing and Rolls-Royce.

Singapore Airlines Cargo operates SIA's freighter fleet and manages the cargo-hold capacity in SIA's passenger aircraft. It has two subsidiaries: SilkAir operates regional flights to secondary cities, while Scoot operates as a low-cost carrier.

Singapore Airlines was the launch customer for the Airbus A380 - the world's largest passenger aircraft - as well as the Boeing 787-10 and the ultra-long-range version of the Airbus A350-900.

It ranks amongst the top 15 carriers worldwide in terms of revenue passenger kilometers, and is ranked tenth in the world for international passengers carried.[6] Singapore Airlines was voted as the Skytrax World's Best Airline Cabin Crew 2019.

The airline also won the second and fourth positions as the World's Best Airlines and World's Cleanest Airlines respectively for 2019.

Best World Airlines 2019 At Skytrax Awards

Qatar Airways has been named the world's best airline for 2019 at the annual World Airline Awards, announced at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday.

It's the fifth time the Middle East carrier has taken out the top gong at the awards run by research firm Skytrax, the first airline to win the world's best award five times since the rankings began in 1999.

As usual, the top 10 was dominated by Asian and Middle Eastern airlines.

Last year's winner, Singapore Airlines, dropped to second place, with Japan's All Nippon Airways remaining in third. Cathay Pacific climbed from sixth position to fourth, while Emirates dropped one spot to fifth.

Qantas continued to climb in the rankings, hitting eighth spot after climbing from 13th to 11th last year. However, Virgin Australia continued to drop on the list, falling to 25th position from 22nd last year. In 2017 the airline was ranked 13th.

Qantas dominated the regional awards, taking out best airline, first and business class for the Australia/Pacific, while Air New Zealand won best premium economy and best cabin cleanliness. Jetstar won best low-cost airline in the region.

It was a big year for Qatar Airways with the airline also winning for World's Best Business Class, Best Business Class Seat and best Middle Eastern Airline.

The airline unveiled its revolutionary new business class seats, the "QSuite" in 2017. The seats featured the world's first double-bed in business class, as well a face-to-face "party of four" configuration. Qatar Airways introduced the class on Australian routes in June last year.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker described the results as a proud moment.

Becoming the first airline to be named as 'Airline of the Year' for the fifth time is a landmark achievement, he said.

Edward Plaisted of Skytrax said: To be named as the World's Best Airline is a great recognition of Qatar Airways high standards, and recognises the hard work and dedication from every member of staff to satisfy customers.

In other key awards, Singapore Airlines took out the award for best cabin crew and best first class, Japan Airlines won best economy class, Emirates best inflight entertainment and AirAsia was named best low-cost carrier,

The World Airlines Awards are based on customer surveys conducted by Skytrax. According to Skytrax, more than 20 million survey entries were recorded between September 2018 and May 2019 for this year's awards, with voters coming from more than 100 different countries.

The World's Top 10 Airlines of 2019.

01 - Qatar Airways

02 - Singapore Airlines

03 - ANA All Nippon Airways

04 - Cathay Pacific

05 - Emirates

06 - EVA Air

07 - Hainan Airlines

08 - Qantas Airways

09 - Lufthansa

10- Thai Airways

World's Best Cabin Staff 2019

01 - Singapore Airlines

02 - Garuda Indonesia

03 - ANA All Nippon Airways

04 - Thai Airways

05 - EVA Air

06 - Cathay Pacific

07 - Hainan Airlines

08 - Japan Airlines

09 - Qatar Airways

10 - China Airlines

Best economy class

01 - Japan Airlines

02 - Singapore Airlines

03 - Qatar Airways

04 - Thai Airways

05 - ANA All Nippon Airways

06 - Emirates

07 - Cathay Pacific Airways

08 - Hainan Airlines

09 - Lufthansa

10 - EVA Air

Best business class

01 - Qatar Airways

02 - ANA All Nippon Airways

03 - Singapore Airlines

04 - Emirates

05 - Qantas

06 - Hainan Airlines

07 - Thai Airways

08 - Etihad Airways

09 - Cathay Pacific Airways

10 - Garuda Indonesia

Best premium economy

01 - Virgin Atlantic

02 - Singapore Airlines

03 - Air New Zealand

04 - Austrian Airlines

05 - Air Canada

06 - Qantas Airways

07 - Lufthansa

08 - Virgin Australia

09 - Aeroflot

10 - Air France

World's Best Low-Cost Airlines 2019

01 - AirAsia

02 - easyJet

03 - Norwegian

04 - Southwest Airlines

05 - AirAsiaX

06 - Jetstar Airways

07 - WestJet

08 - Indigo

09 - Ryanair

10 - Eurowings

The World's Cleanest Airlines

01 - EVA Air

02 - Japan Airlines

03 - ANA All Nippon Airways

04 - Singapore Airlines

05 - Asiana Airlines

06 - Hainan Airlines/

07 - Swiss Int'l Air Lines

08 - Cathay Pacific

09 - Qatar Airways

10 - Lufthansa

Best inflight entertainment

01 - Emirates

02 - Qatar Airways

03 - Singapore Airlines

04 - Virgin Atlantic

05 - Delta Air Lines

06 - Qantas Airways

07 - United Airlines

08 - Lufthansa

09 - Turkish Airlines

10 - American Airlines


Tourism Observer

QATAR: Qatar Airways’ Inaugural Flight From Doha To Malta Lands At Malta International Airport

Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight from Doha to Malta landed at Malta International Airport on Tuesday 4 June 2019, marking the launch of the airline’s newest gateway to Europe.

Operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, flight QR383 was welcomed with a celebratory water cannon salute upon arrival at the historic Mediterranean island’s international airport.

This was followed by a welcome ceremony attended by the Charges d'Affaires of the State of Qatar to Malta, Mr. Abdulla Khalid A A Al-Derham; Malta’s Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Dr. Konrad Mizzi; and Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Europe, Mr. Sylvain Bosc.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: We are delighted to launch direct services to Malta, the latest addition to Qatar Airways’ rapidly expanding European network.

Set against the incredible backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea, Malta, with its stunning natural attractions and breathtaking architecture, is one of Europe’s most historic and culturally significant destinations.

“With the flexibility of seasonal daily flights in summer, and four-times-weekly services in winter, we look forward to welcoming business and leisure travellers alike on board so that they may experience this charming destination for themselves.”

Malta International Airport Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Alan Borg, said: We are delighted to welcome this award-winning flag carrier to our airline family and to grow our route network further with the addition of Doha.

The convenient flight schedule which will be operated by Qatar Airways throughout the year, will certainly strengthen our connections to the rest of the world and allow tourists from new markets outside Europe to discover Malta’s rich history, unique traditions and spectacular underwater world.

The new direct services to Malta will be operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 120 seats in Economy Class.

As well as enjoying the award-winning in-flight service on board, passengers travelling to Malta will also have access to Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system, offering the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more.

Malta is the third new destination to be introduced by the airline this summer following the launch of flights to Izmir, Turkey, and Rabat, Morocco, in May; with Davao, the Philippines, and Lisbon, Portugal, joining the network later in June; followed by Mogadishu, Somalia, on 1 July; and Langkawi, Malaysia, on 15 October.

A multiple-award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax.

It was also named ‘Best Business Class Seat’, ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge’.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA) to more than 160 destinations worldwide.

Current Flight Schedule:

Doha (DOH) to Malta (MLA) QR381 departs 01:25 arrives 06:45 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
Malta (MLA) to Doha (DOH) QR382 departs 09:20 arrives 15:55 (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)

Doha (DOH) to Malta (MLA) QR383 departs 08:05 arrives 13:25 (Tues, Thurs, Sat)
Malta (MLA) to Doha (DOH) QR384 departs 17:45 arrives 00:20 +1 (Tues, Thurs, Sat)

Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is celebrating more than 20 years of Going Places Together with travellers across its more than 160 business and leisure destinations on board a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft.

The world’s fastest-growing airline will add a number of exciting new destinations to its growing network this year, including Lisbon, Portugal; Malta; Rabat, Morocco; Langkawi, Malaysia; Davao, Philippines; Izmir, Turkey; and Mogadishu, Somalia.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax.

It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge’ and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite.

Qatar Airways has been awarded the coveted “Skytrax Airline of the Year” title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, four times.

Qsuite, a patented Qatar Airways product, features the industry’s first-ever double bed in Business Class, as well as privacy panels that stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room, a first of its kind in the industry.

Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 160 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.

Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more.

Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, B777, A350, A380, A319 and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline’s on-board Wi-Fi and GSM service.

Qatar Airways proudly supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching the global community that it serves.

Qatar Airways, the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA 2022 World Cup, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline’s own brand message - Going Places Together.

Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the world’s leading international air cargo carriers, serves more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 160 key business and leisure destinations globally on more than 250 aircraft.

The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes two Boeing 747-8 freighters, 16 Boeing 777 freighters and five Airbus A330 freighters.


Tourism Observer

Safe And Unsafe Airlines

AEROFLOT OR ANY RUSSIAN AIRLINE

Russian airlines lead the world in crashes and fatalities. The only air disasters in the past ten years that stole the headlines from missing Malaysian Air flights were catastrophic Russian crashes which wiped out the Polish government, a hockey team, and hundreds of vacationers to Egypt.

Aeroflot is Russia’s flag carrier, and it has an ominous record as the airline with the most crashes in the world.

Today Aeroflot is modern and safe and hasn’t had a major incident since 2008, but the list of other Russian airlines, including S7 and Siberian Air and Nordstar, with huge crashes, is too hard to ignore. If you’re flying in or out of Russia, take Finnair.

AIR NEW ZEALAND

Air New Zealand was rated as the safest airline in the world by Skytrax for 2017, the third year in a row they won this prestigious, and important, award.

This is New Zealand’s flag carrier and they have flights to destinations mostly in Asia, but also to the UK, US, Australia, and Canada. The only incident they’ve had is when a flight carrying pilots, technicians, and a safety inspector crashed into the ocean in 2008.

Otherwise, Air New Zealand has never lost a civilian passenger, joining the ranks of Air Canada for the safest airline. With fewer accidents, crashes, and deaths than any other airline, rest easy when you’re traveling on Air New Zealand!

PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES

Pakistan's flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines, is one of the most messed-up airlines in the world. The airline has a near-zero rating fromairlinereviews.com and is in the top 10 least safe airlines in the Skytrax annual review.

The airline has suffered many crashes resulting in fatalities every single year since they were founded in 1947, and when they’re not crashing or blowing up mid-air, they have a long list of minor accidents caused by pilot negligence and lack of ground maintenance.

FINNAIR

Finland’s largest airline and flag carrier has an impeccable safety record.They haven’t had a fatality since 1963, and have had few mishaps and accidents than any other airline in the world since then.

There were a couple of hijackings and attempts at bombing a Finnair airline, but these were all dealt with efficiently by authorities and passengers and crew were unharmed.

Finnair keeps a fleet of modern, well-maintained aircraft crewed by excellent pilots and professional flight attendants. If you’re flying anywhere in Europe, you can’t go wrong with Finnair.

MALAYSIAN AIRLINES

Malaysian Airlines has had a bad decade. Several large airline disasters have captured the world’s media attention, including the disappearance of Flight 370 in 2014.

What seems like such a shock to the world was no surprise to airline safety agencies and industry watchdogs, such as airlinereviews.com. Malaysian Airlines has a history of minor crashes, unsafe maintenance, corporate corruption and half-trained pilots and aircrew.

When several planes went down more recently, it was a culmination of a bad corporate culture that resulted in one of the most unsafe airlines in the world.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

British Airways was founded in 1974 by a government commission and has since grown to become the largest carrier in the UK. British Airways is one of the safest airlines in the world and hasn’t lost a passenger since 1976 when Flight 476 collided with another aircraft on takeoff, hurting 63 people on board.

This is the only time British Airways has had fatalities. Their pilots and crew are top-notch, and thanks to their fantastic skills several notable disasters have been avoided, like when Flight 900 flew through a volcanic ash cloud and the pilots glided the aircraft to a safe landing.

Qr the time a windshield blew out and the pilot was sucked out of the aircraft, but hung on while the co-pilot landed the plane safely. Nobody was hurt.

AIR INDIA

Air India is an Indian government owned airline founded in 1932. It has a dubious safety record, with a habit of exploding in mid-air.

Thankfully modern security screening has drastically reduced airline bombings around the world, but that doesn’t stop things like Air India flights randomly catching fire, or skidding off the runway, or simply driving into parked airplanes at the terminal loading docks.

Skytrax rates Air India as one of the least safe airlines due to a lot of negligence-caused accidents on the part of pilots, aircrew, and ground maintenance.

AIR CANADA

Air Canada has a proud and long history as one of the safest airlines in the world. Canada’s flag carrier was founded in 1937 and has never had a single fatality in all that time. They have flights to 207 cities around the world, making them one of the top 10 largest airlines and one of the top five oldest.

They’ve had the odd mishap, like in 2017 when the pilot accidentally turned off his radio while coming into San Francisco International Airport and landed on a runway full of taxiing airplanes.

This was the most serious incident in the airlines, history, and nobody was hurt. The pilot was suspended and the airline launched a full investigation. Air Canada flights are modern, well-maintained, and professional.

THAI AIRWAYS

Thailand’s national carrier has had a tough run as a world-class airline. They try really, really hard to be safe, but bad things just keep happening. In 2001 an entire wing blew up thanks to a fuel leak, resulting in one death on board.

In 2009 a flight crash-landed on a runway, while another plane dove into a rice paddy in 1998, killing everyone on board. For the most part, Thai Airways is safe, as they’ve had very few fatalities.

It’s just that things keep blowing up or falling off their airplanes, which shows a lack of maintenance and, as is usually the case with airlines from the developing world, corporate corruption which stops new parts and aircraft from reaching the fleet.

CATHAY PACIFIC

Cathay Pacific was one of the most luxurious airlines in the world at one point, winning the coveted “best airline” year after year. It has since fallen from the top spot, replaced by newcomers such as Qatar Airlines and Emirates.

Cathay Pacific still holds on to its stellar safety record, however. Hong Kong’s flag carrier reaches destinations around the world, and its last disaster was in 1972 when a bomb took down a flight, which can’t really be held against the company.

Their airplanes are known to be well-maintained and crewed by professionals, and their customer service is the best in all of Asia!

JETSTAR PACIFIC

Jetstar Pacific is a budget-airline out of Vietnam. Officially called Jetstar Pacific Airlies Joint Stock Aviation Company, this airline is near the bottom of Skytrax’s annual airline safety list.

According to aeroinside.com, which tracks airline incidents, Jetstar Pacific has had numerous safety incidents including tail strikes on takeoff, when the plane rotates the nose up to takeoff, the pilot is supposed to lift the plane off the ground or the tail will smash into the runway, known as a tail strike.

Other reports include landing gear malfunctions, noxious fumes in the cabin, and failure to pass a safety inspection at an Australian airport.

LUFTHANSA

Lufthansa was founded in the 1920s and then regrown after World War II and is one of the largest airlines in the world today. You can catch a Lufthansa flight to pretty much anywhere in Europe, and rest confident that you’ll actually get there alive. The airline isn’t without incidents, however.

Between 1959 and 1993, Lufthansa had several major accidents resulting in fatalities. The past 25 years have been very safe, with no fatalities and very few accidents. Although they are expensive, you’re getting what you pay for when you choose to fly with Lufthansa.

EGYPTAIR

Egyptair is Egypt’s national airline, with flights to nearly a hundred countries around the world. It’s also rated by Skytrax as one of the ten least safe airlines.

Even if you discount the company’s disasters, such as Flight 804 flying into the Mediterranean in 2016, or Flight 990 flying head-first into the Atlantic in the 90s, you still have an airline with a long history of mishaps.

In 2016 a plan caught fire while sitting on the runway. Another’s engine fell off during takeoff. There have been multiple hijackings of Egyptair flights in recent years, which makes for an uncomfortable vacation.

EMIRATES

Emirates has a decent safety record. They’ve never had a fatality on any of their flights, although they have had several mishaps on takeoff and landing.In 2004, and again in 2009, Emirates flights ran out of runway and plowed through landing lights and fences.

Nobody was hurt, but come on, really?In both cases, the investigators blamed the pilots for not lifting off and blamed Emirates for not giving the pilots enough rest between flights.

The odds of such an exciting start to your travels are rare, so instead sit back and enjoy Emirates world-famous comfort and service.

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES

Philippine Airlines is the flag carrier of The Philippines and is also one of the safest Filipino-operated airlines.Unfortunately, they aren’t the safest in the world, with a string of accidents, most of them minor.

Philippine Airlines flights have also been targeted by terrorists in the past, with al-Qaeda blowing up an airliner in 2007, and local extremists knocking down local propeller-driven craft now and again.

For the most part, you’ll survive your flight with these guys, but they still remain accident prone. Engines seize up mid-flight, landing gear doesn’t retract, planes fall off the runway, minor stuff.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Asian-based airlines seem to have a fantastic safety record. Eva, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines are all represented in the top 10 safest airlines in the world.Singapore Airlines isn’t without incidents, however.

In 1991 Pakistani militants hijacked Flight 117, until Singapore Special Forces stormed the aircraft and freed all the passengers while dispatching all the terrorists.

In 2000, Flight 006 took off from the wrong runway in Taiwan and crashed into some construction equipment, and 86 people lost their lives. There haven’t been any other fatalities in the airline's history and they’ve had an accident-free 18 years!

CHINA AIR

China Airlines is the largest air carrier in China and is partially government owned. If you’re heading to China, chances are you’ll end up booked on a China Air flight.

They fly to more than a hundred cities around the world, and is considered the 10th largest airline in the world! China Air also has one of the worst safety records of all the major airlines, with more than 30 catastrophic crashes and hundreds of minor accidents.

Most of their pilots are well-trained and come from a military background, but it seems that the aircraft themselves are not well maintained, and the company tends to skimp on spending the money necessary to keep their fleet safe.

EVA AIR

Eva Air is a Taiwanese airline launched in 1989. They have one of the best safety records of all the Asian airlines, and to date has not had a single aircraft incident or passenger fatality.If you’re flying Eva Air you can rest assured that you’re in good hands.

I’ve never flown Eva, but passenger reviews online tell a story of friendly, professional treatment, comfortable flights and average food.If you’re heading anywhere in Asia, try Eva Air. At the very least you’ll get there alive.

CUBANA

Cubana Airlines is considered one of the most accident-prone airlines in the world, with an accident rating 60 times higher than British Airways! Cubana is Cuba’s national airline, wholly owned by the Communist government.

It was founded in 1930 as a subsidiary of Pan-Am Airlines, but after Castro’s takeover, it was nationalized. Today it is known as Crashbana by Cubans and Mexicans.

In 2018 it had a catastrophic crash with 107 fatalities, which came only a year after another crash, which was eight months after another crash. If you must go to Cuba, fly on Air Canada.

JAPAN AIRLINES

Japan Airlines is one of the safest airlines in the world, having only one catastrophic accident in its history. That was when Flight 123 flew face-first into a mountain back in 1985, taking 520 passengers with it.

The company has since fired all of its kamikaze pilots and passengers can expect a relatively comfortable flight. I’ve flown JAL several times and was once even upgraded to first class, the only time in my traveling career, so I have a soft spot for them.

According to airlinerratings.com, JAL has a 7.2 out of 10 rating, making them one of the top 10 safest in the world!


Tourism Observer

CANADA: Air Canada's New Uniforms Win Best Corporate Design Award

Air Canada's newly launched uniforms have been recognized for Best Corporate Design by the UK's Professional Clothing Awards.

It is the first time a North American company has been recognized in these highly regarded awards and it follows on two Image of the Year Awards received in March from the North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors.

Air Canada's new uniforms were launched earlier this year.

This is a very welcome accolade for Air Canada's new uniform collection, now proudly being worn by our employees.

We are delighted their design, which projects Air Canada's and Canadian values, is clearly making a fashion statement around the world, said Andrew Yiu, Vice President, Product at Air Canada.

Winning a European award is gratifying as it further advances our ambition to be a Top 10 global carrier in everything we do.

I thank Canadian designer Christopher Bates and Unisync for designing the new uniforms, as well as Air Canada's employees who are excellent brand ambassadors.

The Professional Clothing Awards bring together the global professional clothing industry to recognize the international uniform supply chain and reward exceptional workwear, corporate clothing and Personal Protective Equipment. The award was presented at a ceremony in London.

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 220 airports on six continents.

Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2017 served more than 48 million customers.

Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 64 airports in Canada, 59 in the United States and 98 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America.

Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,317 airports in 193 countries.

Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2017 Best Airline in North America.

Air Canada was also named the 2018 Eco-Airline of the Year by the respected airline industry publication Air Transport World in its 44th Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards for its commitment to emissions reductions through supporting the development of alternative fuels.

Its numerous green programs and partnerships, and being the first airline worldwide to voluntarily join the World Bank's IMF Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition.

Air Canada is Canada's largest airline and the largest provider of scheduled passenger services in the Canadian market, the Canada-U.S. transborder market and in the international market to and from Canada.

Air Canada together with its Air Canada Express regional partners carries more than 45 million passengers, offering direct passenger service to more than 200 destinations on six continents.


Tourism Observer

CANADA: Freshii To Served On Air Canada Flights

Air Canada will begin serving foods from Freshii to its North American passengers starting next month.

Available items will include the brand’s Pangoa Bowl and Fiesta Wrap for lunch or dinner, as well as the Avocado Smash Box for breakfast.

We’re excited to bring Freshii’s innovative meals and snacks as a new option to our North American onboard bistro service.

This partnership offers increased choice to our customers as we continue to improve on our Best Airline in North America Skytrax status,” says Benjamin Smith, president, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.

Specific menu items can be viewed in the onboard menu in seat pockets of select flights offering Air Canada Bistro.


Tourism Observer

EVA Air Has Won Four TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards

EVA Air announced the carrier won the TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards in four different areas.

This is a doubled increase from only winning two in the previous year, showing the enhancement of the carrier’s services.

EVA has now won four awards, including a fifth-place ranking among prizes such as Top 10 Airlines in the World, Top 11 Major Airlines in Asia, and Best Business and Premium Economy Classes in Asia.

Commenting on this special occasion was EVA’s President Clay Sun: EVA never compromises safety and service and makes every effort to give passengers the best possible flying experience.

All of us at EVA deeply appreciate our passengers for expressing satisfaction with our services in their ratings and reviews.

We will further elevate the passenger experience during the second half of this year when we start introducing brand-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and will initiate more enhancements as we begin to add Boeing 787-10s next year.

We continually seek to introduce new services and amenities and make every effort to ensure 5-star service quality for all our passengers, he added.

Also, Bryan Saltzburg, Senior VP and General Manager for TripAdvisor Flights said:

We’re thrilled to recognize the global TripAdvisor community’s favorite airlines and shine a spotlight on the carriers around the world that provide the very best flying experiences, including EVA Air.

As the airline industry introduces new fare products and a widening array of in-flight offerings, consumers continue to seek out the carriers that deliver value and a quality experience.

The Travelers’ Choice awards for airlines recognize the carriers that exceed passenger expectations and receive top marks from travellers.

To complement these awards, other honorable institutions such as SKYTRAX has listed the airline as a 5-Star Airline two years in a row and also recognized the carrier for Best Business Class Comfort Amenities and World’s Cleanest Aircraft Cabins.

In addition, EVA Air has been evaluated by the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre and has been consistently recognized as one of the World’s Top 20 Safest Airlines.

The awards won by EVA at TripAdvisor is a bold statement that can be made across the world. TripAdvisor acquires over 400 million monthly visitors with up to 600 million reviews and opinions per month across the globe.

All-in-all, it is clear that EVA has not just bettered themselves an airline in terms of the standards they offer to fliers but are on their way to perfecting themselves as a global representative in the aviation world.


Tourism Observer

QATAR: Qatar Airways Is ‘Best Airline' ,Gulf Rift Not To Halt Fleet And Route Growth Plans

Qatar can feel proud of the fact that it’s state-owned airline is once again the world’s top-ranked carrier.

Qatar Airways reclaimed the No. 1 spot in this year’s Skytrax awards, a coveted list of the leading 100 airlines announced on the second day of the Paris Air Show. Qatar unseated Emirates, which slipped to fourth. The rankings are based on an annual passenger survey.

Second and third position went to Singapore Airlines and ANA All Nippon Airways.

In addition to being voted Best Airline by travellers from around the world, Qatar’s national carrier also won a raft of other major awards at the ceremony, including Best Airline in the Middle East, World’s Best Business Class and World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge. Qatar Airways' home and hub, Hamad International Airport, was this year also rated five-star by Skytrax, one of only five in the world to be given this recognition.

Akbar al Baker, Qatar Airways’s chief executive officer, used the platform to make an impromptu speech in which he condemned the blockade of Qatar, which he had previously likened to the Soviet siege of West Berlin after World War II.

"At these difficult times of illegal bans on flights out of my country by big bullies, this is an award not to me, not to my airline, but to my country," Al Baker said after being handed the microphone at the ceremony’s climax.

Tensions between Qatar, one of the world’s richest countries and the biggest producer of liquefied natural gas, and its neighbours are escalating after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic relations and closed transport routes three weeks ago.

Qatar Airways has closed 52 routes, with remaining services forced into diversions ranging from five minutes to two hours to avoid closed airspace.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG managed to improve its ranking by three slots to the seventh position, making it the only European carrier in the Top 10 and the only airline not from Asia or the Persian Gulf.

At the same time it failed to secure a five-star ranking, something it has been targeting since 2015, though CEO Carsten Spohr pledged to get there soon. Only nine airline hold the status, seven from Asia and two from the Middle East.

There are no US companies featured in the Top 20 of the survey’s rankings, which cover more than 325 airlines and are a powerful marketing tool to attract more high-spending business or leisure travelers.

Turkish Airlines tumbled out of the Top 10 list, having been placed 7th last year.

Skytrax also hands out awards for various sub-categories, which include best cabin staff, best in-flight entertainment or best low-cost airline.

Gulf rift will not halt Qatar Airways’ fleet and route growth plans

A boycott by four Arab nations will not halt Qatar Airways’ growth or plans to accept delivery of new aircraft, it said on Monday, adding it was seeing demand return after an initial downturn.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar on June 5 in the worst diplomatic crisis in the region in years.

The crisis has seen those countries close their airspace to Qatar Airways, forcing it to fly longer routes and thereby adding costs.

There has been monetary impact, Chief Executive Akbar al Baker said in an interview onboard one of Qatar Airways’ 777 jets at the Paris Airshow on Monday.

We have had a lot of cancellations, especially to the four countries that did this illegal blockade, but we have found new markets and this is our growth strategy, he said, adding passengers were returning to the carrier after initially being deterred when the boycott started.

He said Qatar was not the only country affected by the crisis.

All these countries have families on either side of the borders, they have relatives, children, investments. Eventually people will realise that the move they have done against my country was ill-thought out and ill-advised and that life has to come back to normal, he said.

Qatar is talking with the United Nations’ aviation agency, ICAO, about the airspace rights’ dispute, and Al Baker said he was disappointed with their actions thus far.

“I don’t think they have moved enough, I don’t think they have taken this matter very seriously,” he said.

He said Qatar Airways had plenty of growth opportunities elsewhere, citing new routes opening this month to Dublin, Skopje and Sarajevo as examples.

We are not going to defer any of our aircraft, We are continuing our aircraft deliveries at the same pace as we are contractually obligated to do, he said, adding Qatar was in talks to add more freighter capacity.

Al Baker said Qatar Airways still wanted to buy a stake in Italian carrier Meridiana, though there were a few things to iron out.

However, Qatar is not interested in struggling carrier Alitalia, which is in the process of seeking a buyer.

We are not interested to look at the books because I know how it has been left behind by one of the airlines that was too keen to relaunch it and failed,he said.

Separately, Qatar plans to set up a full service Indian carrier to fly domestic routes with around 100 narrowbody planes after the country opened up the airline industry to foreign investors.

Al Baker said an application would be made for an operating licence soon, without giving a more precise timeframe.

Top 100 Airlines In 2017

At the World Airline Awards held at Paris Air Show on 20th June 2017, Skytrax announced the world's Top 100 Airlines in 2017, as voted by airline customers around the world.

The awards, described as "the Oscars of the aviation industry", are most coveted Quality accolades for the world airline industry, and a global benchmark of airline excellence.

Qatar Airways reclaimed the No. 1 spot in this year’s Skytrax awards. Second and third position went to Singapore Airlines and ANA All Nippon Airways.

In addition to being voted Best Airline by travellers from around the world, Qatar’s national carrier also won a raft of other major awards at the ceremony, including Best Airline in the Middle East, World’s Best Business Class and World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.
The World's Top 100 Airlines - 2017

2016

1
Qatar Airways 2
2
Singapore Airlines 3
3
ANA All Nippon Airways 5
4
Emirates 1
5
Cathay Pacific 4
6
EVA Air 8
7
Lufthansa 10
8
Etihad Airways 6
9
Hainan Airlines 12
10
Garuda Indonesia 11
11
Thai Airways 13
12
Turkish Airlines 7
13
Virgin Australia 18
14
Swiss Int'l Air Lines 15
15
Qantas Airways 9
16
Japan Airlines 21
17
Austrian 19
18
Air France 14
19
Air New Zealand 17
20
Asiana Airlines 16
21
Bangkok Airways 20
22
KLM 24
23
China Southern 32
24
Hong Kong Airlines 29
25
Finnair 27
26
AirAsia 23
27
Cathay Dragon 22
28
Norwegian 30
29
Air Canada 31
30
Aeroflot 40
31
Malaysia Airlines 34
32
Delta Air Lines 35
33
Virgin Atlantic 28
34
Korean Air 36
35
China Airlines 37
36
Alaska Airlines 60
37
Aegean Airlines 33
38
Aer Lingus 49
39
jetBlue Airways 53
40
British Airways 26
41
easyJet 38
42
Iberia 52
43
Virgin America 25
44
Jetstar Airways 46
45
AirAsiaX 48
46
Air Astana 43
47
Vietnam Airlines 44
48
Ethiopian Airlines 76
49
South African Airways 41
50
Avianca 56
51
Saudi Arabian Airlines 82
52
Azul Brazilian 55
53
Oman Air 42
54
Southwest Airlines 66
55
Porter Airlines 47
56
SilkAir 39
57
Indigo 51
58
WestJet 50
59
LATAM 45
60
Scoot 61
61
Jetstar Asia 54
62
TAP Air Portugal 64
63
Alitalia 58
64
Eurowings 75
65
SAS Scandinavian 62
66
Thomson Airways 65
67
Philippine Airlines 83
68
Brussels Airlines 59
69
Copa Airlines 69
70
Air Transat 88
71
Azerbaijan Airlines 70
72
China Eastern 79
73
Jet Airways 71
74
American Airlines 77
75
Fiji Airways 91
76
Ryanair 108
77
Air Mauritius 73
78
United Airlines 68
79
LOT Polish 92
80
Air Seychelles 63
81
SriLankan Airlines 67
82
Icelandair 81
83
Juneyao Airlines

Brand Finance Names Aeroflot Strongest Airline Brand in the World 2017

Aeroflot has been named the strongest airline brand globally in 2017 by Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent branded business valuation and strategy consultancy.

Brand strength is based on observing the brand’s current performance, accessing the relevant beliefs, associations and attitudes in the minds of consumers, and estimating the brand’s future performance and profit streams.

About thirty factors are taken into account in determining the rating, including data points such as fleet size, average age of fleet, safety measures, number of employees, investments made by the company, financial and operating results, client loyalty as well as key industry ratings from Skytrax, IATA, Bloomberg, etc. The brand strength index measures the impact the brand has on the company’s commercial and operating activities, thereby acting as a measure of the effectiveness of the company’s marketing activities.

2017 marked the first year that Brand Finance issued a global brand strength rating for the airline industry.

The recognition of Aeroflot’s brand strength comes at a time when the company continues to strengthen its international offering, particularly offering convenient service between destinations in Europe and Asia via its modern hub at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. Aeroflot has refined its multi-brand model, with premium carrier Aeroflot as the flag carrier.

Aeroflot, which celebrates its 94th year of operations in 2017, is one of the oldest airlines globally and one of Russia’s most well-known and most-loved brands. Thanks to a relentless focus on customer service and efforts to leverage the latest technology, Aeroflot is counted among the premium airlines in Europe according to a wide range of industry awards and passenger ratings.

SEYCHELLES: Air Seychelles Honours Staff

Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles and partner airline of Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, presented 52 staff with long-service awards last night in recognition of their long service with the airline.

The special awards ceremony took place in the VIP Lounge at the airport where the staff, who have all been with the company for over 10 to 40 years, were thanked for their years of service.

The group came from various airline departments including Ground Operations, Quality and Safety, Cabin Operations, Flight Operations, Procurement and Supply Chain, Guest Services, Revenue Management, Sales and Distribution, Planning and Finance, Human Resources, Technical Operations and Cargo.

Jean Weeling-Lee, Chairman of the Air Seychelles Board, said: 'On behalf of the Air Seychelles board I would like to extend my congratulations to the many Seychellois who have continued to support the national airline throughout the years. At Air Seychelles we strive to place people at the centre of development and your commitment has not only contributed towards the future growth of the airline but also towards the tourism industry which is one of the key drivers of the Seychelles economy'.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles then added: 'The successful achievement and the future growth of our airline would have not been possible without the hard work and determination of our people. Our staff will remain an important pillar in the development of Air Seychelles and for that we want to express our gratitude for their devotion and loyalty. Currently the airline which is considered as one of the biggest employers in the Seychelles provides employment opportunities to 787 staff of which 97% are Seychellois. This remarkable achievement is significant for Air Seychelles as it demonstrates the can-do attitude and the skill-set of our staff and the importance we place on human resources to further improve the capabilities and the future of our airline'.

Riard Balette, Manager Technical Quality and Safety at Air Seychelles, was amongst one of the staff honoured for working at the airline for 30 years.

During celebration he said: 'I am indeed very proud to share 30 years of my experience and expertise with Air Seychelles. I have always been fascinated by the aviation industry and the opportunities provided throughout the years of working for Air Seychelles have equipped me with the right skills and professional aptitude to progress further in my career'.

Rose-Marie Monthy was recognized for 20 years of service and sharing her experience with the airline, noted: 'I have taken great pride in working for the national airline and I am thrilled to have been part and witnessed the various developments which have enabled Air Seychelles to become a successful and reputable airline within the Indian Ocean. Having started my career back in 1996, amidst the ups and downs that any job brings along, today I am very grateful for the career opportunity Air Seychelles has offered me. Completing 20 years with Air Seychelles does not mean that I have reached the end of my career, I continue to provide my support towards the continuous growth of the airline and to ensure that Air Seychelles remains the pride of Seychelles'.

Ropatra Gonthier, Performance Standard and Training Manager in Guest Services, was recognized for more than 10 years of service at Air Seychelles.

She shared her experience of the airline’s growth, saying: 'The Air Seychelles airport operations have witness considerable improvement throughout the past ten years especially in areas of guest services. Currently the airline operation involves more than 350 domestic and over 60 international services per week and with the upcoming flight to Dusseldorf and Durban the operation will be more complex. Being witness and taking active part in this fantastic achievement and continuous progress has been a great experience for me'.

Air Seychelles is a Skytrax rated 4 star airline and operates a fleet of Airbus A330's, A320's besides six DHC Twin Otters for domestic services. The airline flies from Mahe to Beijing, Paris, Duesseldorf from mid 2017, Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Mauritius, Madagascar, Johannesburg and soon also to Durban.

Africa World Airlines Targeting To Dominate Africa

Africa World Airlines (AWA) is to increase its offering on its regional and domestic routes this year as it scales-up its operations.

The Accra-based airline, which currently operates regional flights to Lagos, Nigeria is looking to bring in more equipment and increase its offering to the populous West African country.

Captain Samuel Thompson, Chief Operations Officer (COO) of AWA told the B&FT that: “We intend to increase our frequencies to our destinations that are good. We intend to maintain a regular three or more flight to Lagos a day, increase our frequency to Kumasi and Tamale.”

AWA in December 2013 started servicing the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos and has sustained the service over the past four years to the admiration of patrons; on a route also serviced by Arik, Aero and Med-view.

“We have cemented our presence on the Nigerian market. We are going to increase our frequency to the Nigerian market and we want to set the bar so high that anybody coming in will find it difficult,” Captain Thompson noted.

To see-off competition, AWA is to take delivery of two more aircraft by the end of this month to augment its fleet for the competition ahead.

“We will develop new routes with the Embraer 145 that we have. We have three now and we are bringing in two by the end of January and then in the middle of the year, we will bring in a bigger airplane. It will definitely be a bigger aeroplane with two classes.

People try to buy all this modern airplanes but you have to look at the market and look at what you want to do. Because you might get a bigger aeroplane that takes 200 people but you are always filling that with 100 people. In that case, your numbers will not look right. We have done a good study and we think we will bring the right aeroplane for what we want to do. But once we bring a medium-sized aeroplane and we think the market is growing, then we will bring a bigger one.

Africa World Airlines was incorporated on November 15, 2010 as a joint-venture between HNA Group (China) — parent company of Hainan Airlines, the only Skytrax rated five-star airline in China, founded in 1993; SAS Finance Group (Ghana); China-Africa Development Fund (CAD-Fund, China); and the Social Security and National Insurance (SSNIT).

ISRAEL: Hainan Airlines Launches Direct Flights To Israel

Hainan Airlines is already placing a priority on its Tel Aviv-Beijing line; an airline representative told Ynet that 'the Israeli market is very important to us, and we are not afraid of the competition from El Al'.

Hainan Airlines is coming to Israel, and is selling tickets for its first four round-trip flights to Beijing for $91. But don’t pick up the phone just yet, as after taxes and fuel surcharges, the price rises to $741. This is still cheaper than the prices offered by El Al, the only other airline that flies directly from Israel to Beijing.

Hainan is one of only seven airlines to be awarded a prestigious five star rating by rating company Skytrax, putting it alongside Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, and Asiana airlines.

Israel is a very important destination
The airline thoroughly researched the market in order to determine the route's feasability and the expectations and needs of Israeli travelers before deciding to open the Tel Aviv-Beijing line. Hainan also sent over three hundred visa requests to the Israeli Interior Ministry for pilots, and hundreds more for flight attendants.

"We want to be ready with the best aircrews for our flights to Israel,| said Li Liang, the general manager of the Hainan offices in Israel. "Today Israel is a very important destination for us."

Flights from Israel to Beijing are to take place every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. The planes will take off from Ben Gurion International Airport at 2:00pm IST, and land in Beijing at 5:00am CST the next day. These days and times were chosen in order to enable passengers flying to Beijing the option of catching connecting flights to other destinations within China.

Meanwhile, return flights will take off from Beijing at 2:00am CST, and land in Israel at 8:00am IST.

The planes in use will be Airbus A330-200 models, featuring 36 seats in business class and 186 seats in economy. In business class, the seats have 29 inches of legroom, and unfold into beds. In economy, the seats have over a foot of legroom, and recline up to 105 degrees.

Every passenger is to have a personal entertainment system with over 100 movies on demand, British and American television shows, and different in-flight videogames.

Regarding to competition from El Al, which flies to China on Boeing 767s, Liang says that Hainan doesn't compare its service to those of other companies, or compare itself to other companies that fly to destinations in Europe. "Our judges," he says, "will be the Israeli passengers."

According to Liang, Hainan is presenting clients with ultra-modern planes and the highest quality of service. "We have carefully checked the needs of the Israeli customer, and we are not afraid of competition," he says.

Liang said Hainan is "convinced that this new route will be successful, as there has been immense growth in the number of tourists and business people travelling from Israel to China and China to Israel. The relationship between the two countries is developing and progressing all the time."

TURKEY: Turkish Airlines Now Flies To New Destination In Ukraine

Turkish Airlines will now fly to the Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk starting March 30, the Turkish flagship carrier announced on March 21.

Ivano-Frankivsk is the seventh destination the airline will serve in Ukraine, the company said in a statement.

“With existing services to Kyiv, Odessa, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Kherson and Zaporizhia, Turkish Airlines is now adding Ivano-Frankivsk, one of the largest cities in Ukraine, to its expanding network,” the statement said.

The Ivano-Frankivsk flights will be operated seven times a week.

Turkish Airlines, which was Skytrax’s Best Airline in Europe for 2015, flies to more countries than any other airline, according to Skytrax, the statement added.

Worst Airlines For Customer Service

The subscribers of Travel + Leisure were asked in the annual World’s Best survey to rate airlines’ customer experience, from website design to loyalty programs to face-to-face customer service.

Many respondents took the opportunity to showcase some of the World’s Worst behaviors in travel, such as the impression of increased rudeness and disinterest among airport staff tending to travelers’ problems.

Here’s a breakdown of the airlines that readers rated least favorably.

10. Iberia
Survey respondents called out Iberia flight crew for being inattentive and unfriendly. The Spanish carrier doesn't quite engender a lot of love on review sites such as Yelp, either. Reviewers consistently point to poor/destructive baggage handling and problematic customer service.

9. Alitalia
Respondents gave Italy's flag carrier poor marks for bad service and disorganization, leading to confused boarding processes. American consumers reviewing the airline on Consumer Affairs rated the airline 1 star out of 5 from 178 reviews.

8. Air China
The JFK-Beijing route is especially reviled, with travelers taking to Air China's perceived lack of disruption support in the form of knowledgeable and attentive customer service. Yelp user Grace L shared this tidbit on Yelp:

"Without incident, Air China is probably just fine. But if there is an incident, cue customer rage. Horrendous customer support."

The airline has 2 stars on Yelp, 4 out of 10 on AirlineRatings.com and 5 out of 10 on Skytrax.

7. United Airlines
United is the only operating U.S. legacy carrier to make this list. United is also the least loved airline on Yelp, garnering only 1.5 stars for a litany of poor customer service experiences and operational delays. One review was especially memorable, with traveler Jennifer K likening the experience to a bad dream:

"Now I am having recurring nightmare that I am stuck in a long haul UA flight."

T+L respondents complained about seat comfort and unclear procedures during overbooked flights, with one saying:

"The United Board and the executives should be forced to ride in coach class for a week, including cancelled connections and lost luggage. Hell isn't as bad as this airline."

6. US Airways
US Airways actually tied with United for the lowest rated airline on Yelp. Now the airline has been fully merged into American Airlines, making this the airline's last appearance on any customer satisfaction survey. Reviewers on Consumer Affairs left 255 ratings during the airline's tenure — and left only an average of 1 star for inconsistent operations and customer experience.

5. Frontier Airlines
The reviews across various platforms, from Yelp to ConsumerAffairs to Skytrax, are all overwhelmingly negative. Reviewers point to cramped seats, angry staff and lengthy delays as reasons for the poor reviews. And according to the Forbes and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, Frontier was late on a record 40% of holiday flights over the course of the last few years.

One Skytrax reviewer, and longtime Frontier flier, called the airline "disgraceful" for its "unsafe" seats:

"These seats represent what happens when an airline crosses the line in an effort to cut costs. I will never book another ticket on Frontier Airlines.​"

4. American Eagle
Flying small commuter jets are always a trying travel experience: cramped seats, low headroom and noisy engines. Thankfully, new planes are making the rounds on the commuter routes, as airlines focus on increasing connections beyond the hub-and-spoke model. American Eagle has some work to do to shift perceptions, with reviewers across the Web offering mixed reviews.

3. Allegiant
The low-cost carriers continue to post poor customer reviews. Allegiant is particularly vulnerable, even triggering the Twitter handle @AllegiantSucks that sporadically tracks and retweets customer complaints. The handle mentions frustrating experiences, usually related to lengthy delays in travel times — and baggage handling.

2. easyJet
easyJet has long been known as a no-frills airline that charges customers for virtually everything —even for proof their flight was canceled. This means a lower investment in overhead, which indicates that low fares do come with a cost: less investment in customer service and tight schedules that leave little breathing room for disruptions.

1. Spirit Airlines
Spirit often offers lower prices than any other U.S. carrier, but apparently the cheap prices aren't enough to satisfy the T+L crowd, as Spirit ranked last.

One reader said:

"Worst airline in the world. If they could figure out a way to charge for oxygen, they would do it. Used to fly them regularly but now I would pay more to avoid them."

The disdain permeates across other traveler review platforms. The airline has one of the highest rating and review counts on Consumer Affairs with 590 ratings and 1,550 reviews pegging the airline at a solid one star.

SINGAPORE: Asia Pacific Airline Of The Year Named

Qatar Airways was named Asia Pacific Airline of the Year at last night’s 2015 CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence held in Singapore.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “To be named CAPA Asia Pacific Airline of the year rounds off a big year of award wins for Qatar Airways. It is truly an honour when our efforts and accomplishments are recognised by our peers for they know what it takes to be an industry leader.

We have made great strides in consolidating our leadership in the aviation business this past year, and much of the credit goes to the entire team at Qatar Airways who bring our award-winning product and service to life each and every day.”

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President South East Asia and South West Pacific, Mr. Marwan Koleilat, accepted the award on behalf of the airline in Singapore.

The CAPA Asia Pacific Airline of the Year award was given to the airline that has been the biggest standout strategically during the year, has had the greatest impact on the development of the airline industry, established itself as a leader, and provided a benchmark for others to follow.

Qatar Airways was selected by the judging panel for its remarkably fast expansion and rapid emergence as a global leader.
"Qatar Airways has pursued rapid growth over the last year, launching over 10 new destinations and adding capacity to numerous existing destinations," said CAPA Executive Chairman Mr. Harbison. "Other milestones from 2014 included moving to a new hub airport in Doha, taking delivery of its first A380 and becoming the launch operator of the A350."

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 18 years of operations. In 2014, the Doha-based carrier added 11 new destinations to its global network and was subsequently awarded World’s Best Airline, Best Business Class Airline Seat, and Best Airline in the Middle East at the annual Skytrax 2015 World Airline Awards earlier in June.

Now in its 13th year, CAPA’s Aviation Awards for Excellence are intended to reward airlines and airports that are not only successful but have also provided industry leadership in an always changing environment.

Award candidates were independently researched and short-listed by a team of analysts at CAPA Centre for Aviation and by partners at Heidrick & Struggles. Winners were then selected by an independent and separate panel of judges. For the Asia Pacific Airline of the Year and the Asia Pacific Airline Chief Executive of the Year categories, votes were also solicited and received from 20 high level industry executives.

For these categories, a winner was selected by combining the votes from the panel with the votes from the sample of industry executives.

TAIWAN: EVA Elite Premium Economy, Economy Rank in World’s Top-10 Best AirlineRatings.com experts evaluate airlines’ inflight services

EVA Air Elite Class and Economy service rank among the top-10 “best for economy plus and economy class travel for 2015” in AirlineRatings.com evaluations of the world’s leading airlines. CNN reported this year’s ratings in a Business Traveller report on 8 October, 2015. Travelers can learn more about EVA Air and its commitment to quality service and safety at www.evaair.com.

AirlineRatings.com editors, who collectively have more than 150 years of airline industry experience and knowledge, are recognized worldwide as experts. The website uses a seven-star system based on strict criteria to rate full-service carrier products. EVA secured its position among the world’s top-10 best in both categories with its product excellence. Generous seat pitch, meals, seat-back in-flight entertainment, positive passenger reviews, amenity kits, provision of blankets and pillows, safety and a history of excellence enabled EVA to rise to the top.

“EVA Air was first with a premium economy product, launching it in December 1992 and steadily improving and upgrading it since then,” said AirlineRatings.com spokesperson Sharon Petersen. “Providing meals on par with those in business class, personalized service, a comfortable, spacious seat and a business class-standard amenity kit and pillow, EVA knows how to do premium economy.”

The ratings site found that EVA’s Economy Class reflects an equally high commitment to service and in-flight product quality.


“EVA looks after its economy passengers with an excellent in-flight menu and presentation standard. A wide selection of on-demand in-flight entertainment is available through seat-back screens. The airline is also one of only a handful to keep seat pitch at an average 32-33 inches in economy while most other airlines are dropping it to 31-32. EVA is a true full-service premium airline,” Petersen added.

“Earning high rankings from editors who are as knowledgeable of the airline industry and respected worldwide as the AirlineRatings.com team is truly an honor,” said EVA Air Chairman K.W. Chang. “This recognition tells us that our commitment to quality service and safety is noticed. It also reconfirms our goal to become the world’s best airline.”

AirlineRatings.com ranked EVA Air among the world’s top-10 airlines, identifying it as an airline of choice for business and leisure travel in 2015, and honored the airline with a coveted Excellence Award as the Best Long-Haul Airline Asia/Pacific. EVA has earned a global reputation for excellent service and a spotless safety record. SKYTRAX ranked it as one of the “World’s Top-10 Best Airlines” and the number one airline for “Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness” in 2015.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong Airlines Launches Multi-Currency Pricing Payment Solution

AsiaPay, the premier ePayment service and technology player in Asia and Hong Kong Airlines, the internationally-acclaimed Skytrax 4-star airline, have today announced a collaboration with FEXCO, the leading independent global provider of Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) and Multi-Currency Pricing (MCP) technologies which will see FEXCO's world class MCP solution offered to passengers of Hong Kong Airlines.

As a premier electronic payment solution and technology vendor and payment service provider, AsiaPay, strives to bring advanced, secure, integrated and cost-effective electronic payment processing solutions and services to banks, corporate and eBusinesses in the worldwide market. The solution developed by AsiaPay and FEXCO aims to assist merchants with customer retention, brand awareness and in attracting international customers.

The partnership will see FEXCO's Currency Risk Management MCP solution fully integrated into the Hong Kong Airlines core operating system and website offering multiple benefits to both the airline and the passenger including a more customised and transparent shopping experience. Through FEXCO's MCP platform, the airline can offer their fares and ancillary products in multiple currencies. The passenger selects their preferred currency in which to browse the website and ultimately make payment in providing them with clarity on the price in a currency they are familiar with.

"We are proud to implement this new real-time currency conversion service to Hong Kong Airlines together with FEXCO. Being leading ePayment service player in Asia, we understand and strive to address the ever-changing consumer needs for more user-friendly, safe and convenient way to pay for online travel services," said Mr. Joseph Chan, CEO of AsiaPay.

Mr. Denis Cleary, Managing Director of FEXCO DCC, comments, "The integration of FEXCO's MCP technology into the Hong Kong Airline's system brings significant benefits to both the airline and to the passenger. The solution delivers a more customised shopping experience for the passenger, simultaneously creating a risk free opportunity to generate increased revenue for the airline. We are delighted to announce this partnership and greatly look forward to working together."

Mr. Li Dianchun, Commercial Director of Hong Kong Airlines, comments, "This is a welcome advancement both for our passenger base and indeed for the airline itself. Our goal is to continue to innovate so we can better serve our passengers, this partnership delivers them a tailored and transparent payment solution allowing them to better determine value on their purchase, in a currency they're familiar with - ultimately saving them valuable time."