British Airways Takes Top Honours at the 25th Anniversary OAG Airline of the Year Awards

British Airways Takes Top Honours at the 25th Anniversary OAG Airline of the Year Awards

April 20, 2007

-- Singapore Airlines Scoops Two Prestigious Awards
-- Cathay Pacific Retains Best Transpacific Airline Title
-- Korean Air Wins Best Economy Class
-- Qantas Named Best Airline Based In Australasia/Pacific
-- Seoul Incheon Named Best Airport


    BEIJING, April 20 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- British
Airways was the big winner at the 25th Anniversary OAG
Airline of the Year Awards that were held in the presence
of HRH The Princess Royal at a gala dinner on Tuesday 17
April at The Landmark in London. 

    Her Royal Highness presented the coveted Spirit of
Flight trophy for Airline of the Year to British Airways
CEO, Willie Walsh.  British Airways also picked up awards
as Best Transatlantic Airline, Best Europe-Asia/Australasia
Airline, and best airline based in Western Europe, and was
shortlisted in three other categories.   

    The Asia Pacific region performed extremely well, with
Singapore Airlines taking home two awards: Best
International First Class and Best Airline based in Asia. 
It also was shortlisted for the overall Airline of the Year
title.

    Last year's Airline of the Year, Cathay Pacific,
retained its crown as "Best Transpacific Airline"
and Qantas was once again named Best Airline based in
Australasia/Pacific.

    Seoul Incheon International fought off extremely stiff
competition to win the "Best Airport" crown.  It
just edged out last year's winner Singapore Changi which
was commended, and also beat Amsterdam Schiphol, Dubai
International, New York JFK and San Francisco
International.  Korea was a double winner with Korean Air,
shortlisted for the first time this year, winning
"Best Economy Class".

    AirAsia and Virgin Blue were shortlisted for Best Low
Cost/No Frills Airline but were edged out by jetBlue.

    EasyJet founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, was
presented with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award by
HRH The Princess Royal.  His Lifetime Achievement Award
recognised the impact that EasyJet and the easyGroup had
made on the European aviation and travel scene. 

    The annual "OAG Airline of the Year Awards"
celebrates the very best in global air travel and publicly
recognises the highest standards within the industry.  The
Awards are in association with TravelPlus; Le Royal Hotels
was the Official Sponsor of the event, and Boeing was the
champagne reception sponsor.
 
    The complete list of winners and nominees for the 25th
Anniversary OAG Airline of the Year Awards follows, and can
be accessed at http://www.oag.com/airline+of+the+year.

    The Winners and Nominees for the 25th OAG Airline of
the Year Awards
 
    OAG Airline of the Year 2007: British Airways
    Aeromexico, Continental Airlines, CSA Czech Airlines,
Emirates, Qantas, 
    South African Airways, Singapore Airlines

    Best Airline Based in Asia: Singapore Airlines
    Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Thai
Airways
 
    Best Airline Based in Australasia/Pacific: Qantas
    Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui, Virgin Blue
 
    Best Airline Based in North America: Continental
Airlines
    Air Canada, American Airlines (Commended), Delta Air
Lines, United Airlines
 
    Best Airline Based in Central/S.America &
Caribbean: Aeromexico
    Copa Airlines, LAN Airlines, Mexicana, TAM Brazilian
Airlines
 
    Best Airline Based in Western Europe: British Airways
    Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Virgin
Atlantic

    Best Airline Based in Central/Eastern Europe: CSA Czech
Airlines
    Aeroflot Russian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, MALEV
Hungarian Airlines

    Best Airline Based in the Middle East/Indian
Sub-Continent: Emirates
    El Al, Etihad, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways (Commended)
 
    Best Airline Based in Africa: South African Airways
    Air Mauritius, Egyptair, Kenya Airways
 
    Best Transatlantic Airline: British Airways
    American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Lufthansa,
Virgin Atlantic

    Best Transpacific Airline: Cathay Pacific
    Air New Zealand, American Airlines, Qantas, United
Airlines 
  
    Best Europe - Asia/Australasia Airline: British
Airways
    Air France, Emirates, Lufthansa, Qantas
 
    Best Low Cost/No Frills Airline: JetBlue
    AirAsia, bmibaby, easyJet, Southwest Airlines, Virgin
Blue
 
    Best Economy/Coach Class: Korean Air
    American Airlines, British Airways, Continental
Airlines, Singapore Airlines
 
    Best Business/Executive Class: Continental Airlines
    American Airlines, British Airways, Singapore Airlines,
Virgin Atlantic (Commended)
     
    Best International First Class: Singapore Airlines
    British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Korean Air,

 
    Best Airport: Seoul Incheon International
    Amsterdam Schiphol, Dubai International, New York JFK,
San Francisco International, Singapore Changi (Commended)

    About the Awards

     -- These annual awards were established in 1982. 
     -- The awards are presented by OAG to recognise and
celebrate the 
        achievements of airlines and airports around the
globe
     -- The award is a specially commissioned bronze figure
called "Spirit 
        of Flight" by sculptor Sara Ingleby-Mackenzie
     -- These Awards are based on votes polled from a
worldwide audience of 
        business travellers who subscribe to OAG travel
information and 
        planning products. 
     -- Votes are collected, processed and analysed by an
independent research
        company.
     -- Sponsors of individual award categories: 
        787 Dreamliner: Best Airline based in North
America
        Airport Express Alliance: Best International First
Class
        Boeing: Best Transatlantic Airline
        Hahn Air Systems: Best Low Cost/No Frills Airline
        Odgers Ray & Berndtson: Best Airline based in
Middle East/Indian Sub-   
        continent
        Peel Airports Group: Best Economy/Coach Class
        Powertraveller: Best Transpacific Airline
        Sabre Airline Solutions: Best Business/Executive
Class
        Sabre Travel Network: Best Airline based in Western
Europe
        SideStep: Best Airline based in Asia
        TravelPlus: Best Airport
        TTG: Best Europe - Asia/Australasia Airline
        Zagreb Airport: Best Airline based in
Central/Eastern Europe

    About OAG

    OAG is a global flight information and data solutions
company with 9 offices in Europe, the Americas and Asia. 
It provides data, marketing and solutions to the corporate,
commercial aviation and cargo sectors.  More information
about the company, its products and its services is
available on the OAG web sites http://www.oag.com ,
http://www.oagdata.com and http://www.oagcargo.com . 

    OAG is part of Commonwealth Business Media (
http://www.cbizmedia.com ), a wholly owned subsidiary of
United Business Media plc (
http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com ).  
 



    For more information, please contact:  

    Christopher Pickard at DBA   
    Tel:   [phone]           
    Email: [e-mail]