Business Class seat named as best in the world
For the second year running, Oman Air has won 'Best Business Class Airline Seat' at the prestigious World Airline Awards™, run by Skytrax. The award recognises Oman Air's Airbus A330 Business Class seat and was presented to the airline's Chief Executive Officer, Wayne Pearce, at a ceremony held at the UK's Farnborough International Airshow 2012, on Thursday 12th July.
Oman Air was also nominated in a number of other categories and came second in the 'Best Airline Staff Service in Middle East' and 'Best First Class Catering' categories and third in the 'World's Best Business Class' category. In addition, top ten placings were achieved in the 'Best First Class Airline Seat' and 'Best Business Class Airline Lounge' and 'Best Airline in the Middle East' categories.
Wayne Pearce commented:
"Winning Best Business Class Seat in the World for the second consecutive year is an outstanding accolade, as is being nominated in so many other categories, and I would like to thank the World Airline Awards and all those who voted for Oman Air.
"This award recognises the superb quality of our Business Class product and the number of votes that Oman Air received indicates not only that our customers are impressed by their passenger experience, but also that our Business Class service truly exceeds their expectations.
"Ever since we introduced our A330 Business Class seat, with its unparalleled comfort, space and luxury, customers haveoftenmistaken it for First Class and it is clear that our focus on delivering the very best in all areas of our work is appreciated by air travellers around the world."
Skytrax is recognised worldwide as the leading independent authority on airline quality and assessment. Voted by millions of airline passengers from all over the world, Skytrax's World Airline Awards™ are the most prestigious recognition of front-line product and service standards for the world airline industry.
The World Airline Awards™ prize recognises the excellence of Oman Air's Business Class seat on its Airbus A330 aircraft, which offers spacious and luxurious interiors, combined with state-of-the-art technology. The Business Class cabin offers 20 spacious seats fitted in a four-abreast, one-two-one configuration, ensuring that every passenger has direct aisle access. Each seat has a pitch of 82 inches and converts to a 77-inch long fully lie-flat bed. User-friendly seat controls, ample stowage space and a privacy screen combine with a large 17-inch inflight entertainment monitor, Ethernet and power sockets and Oman Air's pioneering mobile phone and wi-fi connectivity to create the perfect Business Class environment. The experience is complemented by highly-trained flight attendants in Balenciaga-designed uniforms, who offer the warm hospitality for which Oman Air is renowned.
The quality of Oman Air's Business Class cabin is matched by that of its A330 Economy Class cabin. Seats with a 34-inch pitch ensure maximum legroom, whilst adjustable head and leg rests add to passenger comfort. Touch-screen 10.4-inch seatback IFE monitors provide access to all the latest movies, music and games, whilst USB sockets and RCA video multi-plugs allow passengers to plug in their own devices and personalise their IFE experience. In addition, every pair of seats offers a universal power socket and Ethernet socket (RJ45). Excellent service and a delicious menu complement the high standards of seat and cabin design, putting Oman Air at the forefront of inflight hospitality.
The World Airline Awards™ accolade follows Oman Air's transformation in recent years to become a luxury international carrier with an expanding fleet and growing network. Flying to destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa, the airline has recently announced record revenues and passenger numbers, and for the past two years Oman Air has won awards at an average rate of one a month.
Wayne Pearce concluded:
"Everyone at Oman Air, both on the ground and aboard our growing fleet of aircraft, is tremendously proud of this international recognition. It is immensely satisfying that Oman Air can rise above the competition and emerge triumphant for two years running and we look forward to welcoming many more passengers to our award-winning Business Class seat."
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About Oman Air
Oman Air is the flagship carrier of the Sultanate of Oman and an Official 4 Star Airline (Skytrax 2011). Founded in 1993, the airline has since witnessed massive growth and has played a major role in making Muscat an important traffic hub in the Middle East, supporting the commercial, industrial and tourism sectors.
The airline currently operates direct international flights from Muscat to Gulf destinations, such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Kuwait, as well as Cairo, Beirut and Amman within the wider Middle East region.
In addition, Oman Air flies to ten destinations in India (Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Bangalore, Kozhikode and Jaipur), Chittagong in Bangladesh, Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan, Kathmandu in Nepal and Colombo in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, Oman Air flies to the Maldives, Bangkok in Thailand and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and operates services to Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania.
Its European destinations are London, Milan, Munich, Frankfurt, Paris and Zurich and Oman Air will commence a new daily service between Muscat and the Iranian capital Tehran from 1st September 2012.
Codeshare partnerships with Malaysia Airlines extend Oman Air's network to include Hong Kong, Singapore, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi and Penang. Oman Air also has a codeshare partnership with Emirates Airlines giving travellers better connectivity and an extended range of services between Dubai and Muscat.
Oman Air's fleet currently consists of four Airbus A330-200s, three Airbus A330-300s, 15 Boeing 737-700s/800s, two Embraer E175s and two ATR 42s. Two further Embraer E175s are on order, with an option of a further five.
Oman Air will be taking delivery of 6 new Boeing 737s as of 2014, as well as 6 Boeing 787s Dreamliners, which are scheduled for delivery starting in 2015.
Oman Air's outstanding aircraft interiors include its First Class Mini Suite, which provides each of the six First Class passengers with direct aisle access and converts to the longest lie-flat seat in the skies. The A330's 20 award-winning Business Class seats each provide direct aisle access, ample storage space and the latest technological amenities. Economy Class seats offer adjustable head and leg rests, together with surprising amounts of leg and elbow room. A state of the art in-flight entertainment system features individual seatback screens, audio and video on demand and live satellite TV. In addition, Oman Air has pioneered both mobile telephony and Internet connectivity on board its flights and this is available in all three classes.
Superb new First and Business Class lounges have been opened at Muscat International Airport, featuring elegant and tranquil relaxation areas, complimentary spa treatments and à la carte dining. A lounge-to-aircraft limousine service has also been launched for First Class passengers at Muscat.
Oman Air's commitment to quality, comfort and a seamless passenger experience has resulted in international acclaim, including: Best Business Class Seat in the World and Service Excellence, Middle East (World Airline Awards 2011); Best Luxury Airline, Middle East (Business Destinations Awards 2011); Technological Innovation of the Year (Aviation Business Awards 2010); as well recognition in the TravelPlus Amenity Bag Awards 2010 (three Gold, one Silver), the Cellars in the Sky Awards 2010 (Silver), the KLIA Awards 2011, the 2009 Vision Awards (one Silver, one Bronze) and the Travel Industry Club Awards 2010 (Silver), TTG Travel Award 2011 as Commended Airline of the Year, Best In-flight Connectivity & Communications award in The 2011 Passenger Choice Awards in Seattle USA, The Airline of the Year Award at France's Lauriers d'Or du Voyage d'Affaires, Top Resa 2011 in addition to the Best First Class Female Amenity Bag and the Best Business Class Unisex Amenity Bag at the TravelPlus Airline Amenity Bag Awards 2011. The most recent award won by Oman Air was The Best Business Class Airline, Middle East (Business Destinations Travel Awards 2012).
www.omanair.com
© Press Release 2012
