Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has been named ‘Airline of the Year' at the 14th Annual China Travel & Meeting Industry Awards 2015.

This prestigious award was announced during a gala ceremony in Shanghai this week, attended by over 200 senior executives from the Chinese travel and meeting industry, in recognition of the Etihad Airways' market-leading product and service offering.

The airline currently operates 21 services between Abu Dhabi and three major cities in mainland China - Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. In addition, its presence in Greater China will be strengthened from 15 June 2015, with the start of a daily service to Hong Kong.

Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways, said, "We have experienced the rapid growth of China's travel market firsthand since commencing our services to the country seven years ago. Despite strong competition from other airlines, Etihad Airways is today established as a carrier of choice for Chinese travellers, due to our extensive network connections, convenient flight timings and superior products and services.

"We are delighted to be named Airline of the Year at the China Travel & Meeting Industry Awards and look forward to expanding our Greater China network next month, with the launch of a daily service from the financial and tourism hub of Hong Kong to Abu Dhabi and beyond."

The China Travel & Meeting Industry Awards are jointly organised by Travel Weekly Magazine and Events China. The ‘Airline of the Year' award follows a string of accolades for Etihad Airways in China this year, including ‘Best First Class Cabin' from Top Travel in March, and ‘Best Business Class Cabin' at the Annual Travel Awards in February.
Source: WAM