Emirates wins ‘Airline of the Year’ at Aviation Business Awards

Emirates has been adjudged Airline of the Year 2020 at the Aviation Business Awards. 

The airline was recognised for its resilience, agility and innovation in the face of the global pandemic, often leading the industry in its initiatives to boost traveller confidence and comfort, a press release from Emirates says.

President of Emirates Sir Tim Clark was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony, which recognised his contributions to the aviation industry over the course of his career. 

In November, Sir Tim was also the recipient of the Gulf Business Lifetime Achievement Award recognising his dedication and commitment to building the airline, and his pivotal role in transforming the flying experience not just at Emirates, but for the wider industry.

From the onset of the pandemic, Emirates took numerous steps to protect the health and safety of its passengers and crew and was one of the first airlines to redesign the customer experience and implement robust biosafety measures across every touchpoint, the press release says. 

This included complimentary hygiene kits for all passengers, dedicated crew to maintain onboard lavatory cleanliness, protective screens at check-in desks, thermal scanning and social distancing markers at the airport, PPE for frontline employees, enhanced aircraft cleaning and disinfection protocols, and more.

Onboard, the airline has been able to safely reinstate its signature products and services including its A380 Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa, while strictly observing health and safety protocols, the press release further states.

On the ground, Emirates launched self-check-in and bag drop kiosks at DXB, with the aim to reduce the person to person contact. This was followed with the launch of the world’s first biometrics path offering customers a frictionless journey across four key checkpoints at the airport.

Emirates became the first mover in the airline industry to offer free Covid-19 medical cover for customers travelling to any destination on its network. 

Later in the year, Emirates took the initiative a step further to offer the industry’s first multi-risk travel insurance and Covid-19 cover.

Today, the airline serves 99 global destinations, representing around 70 percent of its pre-pandemic passenger network. The airline now operates a double daily flight to and from Dhaka.