Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has brought home top honours at the world travel awards, taking the world's leading airline title for the fourth year in a row. The awards were announced Sunday night at a black-tie gala event at the Oberoi Gurgaon in New Delhi, India. Etihad Airways also received recognition for its Diamond First Class product, named the World's Leading First Class.
The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to seek out and reward the very best travel organisations in the world, acknowledging the elite in their respective fields through a global industry vote. In 2012, nearly 650,000 votes were cast by travel professionals from 191 countries.
The world travel awards have achieved top industry status and been named by the Wall Street Journal as the "Oscars of the Travel Industry". James Hogan, Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, said: "I am delighted that Etihad Airways has again been named the world's leading airline. Particularly in our region, the competition is strong, so this is a fantastic way to round out what has been an exceptional year for us".-PR