Cruising past strong competition from major airlines serving Australia, Emirates won the much-coveted Best International Airline – On-line trophy for the second year running at the highly-respected Australian National Travel Industry Awards for Excellence.
The award is presented to the best international airline serving Australia directly, in comparison to off-line airline operators serving the country.
The awards are hosted by the Australian Federation of Travel Agents Ltd (AFTA), the representative body for Australia’s travel agents. More than 860 travel industry guests attended the event, held in Sydney, making it the largest travel awards event ever held in Australia.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates’ executive vice-president commercial operations worldwide, said: “Australia plays a pivotal role in Emirates’ route network, as we strive to connect our passengers across the globe. Winning this award for the second consecutive year highlights Emirates’ leadership in providing passengers with the best travel experience. Innovation and customer service excellence are the not mere buzzwords for us – we are dedicated to providing our passengers with the best, both in the air and on the ground, and our future product rollouts will continue to set new standards for the airline industry.”
Emirates recently announced a multi-million dollar programme that will further cement its leadership in providing a “best in the air” travel experiences in all classes.
This massive investment will see Emirates introduce an enhanced version of its first class private suites, lie-flat massage seats in business class with more personal space, Economy Class seats with extra legroom and the industry’s largest personal TV screens in all classes, across its rapidly-expanding long-haul Boeing 777 fleet.
Emirates has also launched its next generation, cutting-edge ice Digital Widescreen system, raising standards even higher. Available in all classes, the ground-breaking new system represents a significant enhancement in the overall passenger experience. It features the airline world’s largest wide-screen TVs measuring 23” in first class, 17” in business class and 10.6” in economy, and provides an authentic home-cinema experience.
Maltese travellers to Australia currently have a choice of 49 flights every week – double dailies to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth and a daily to Brisbane. As well as countries in the Middle East, Africa and Europe, Emirates connects Australians to Singapore and Bangkok and across the Trans-Tasman to Auckland and Christchurch.
From Malta to Dubai, Emirates operates five flights a week with a stopover in Larnaca, Cyprus, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the Boeing 777-200. The Malta route gives a convenient connection to outgoing and incoming passengers from Australia and the Far East.