Regional industry leaders honoured at 2nd Doha Aviation Summit awards ceremony
Airlines, airports and individuals from the Middle East were honoured at the Leaders in Aviation Awards at the 2nd Doha Aviation Summit, last night (Saturday 30th October)
Among the winners were Air Arabia, named as Low Cost Carrier of the Year, Abu Dhabi Airports Company which took the award for the Green Initiative of the Year by an Airport, and Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways who was honoured for his Long Term Contribution to the Economic Growth of Qatar.
The awards were presented at a gala dinner at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Doha which marked the start of the 2nd Doha Aviation Summit which runs from 30th October – 1st November. Organised by Dubai-based naseba, the event brings together international and regional aviation leaders for two days, addressing challenges impacting the industry today and potential issues in the future.
The summit is hosted by Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA), is held under the patronage of HE Abdul Aziz Al Noaimi, Chairman, QCAA, and endorsed by HH Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar.
Air Arabia was the first low cost airline in the region and remains the largest, with nearly 50 destinations and a large order book of new aircraft. As well as being the first airline to introduce no-frills, value for money air travel in the region, it was the first to start e-ticketing, and was one of the most profitable airlines in its category during the worst financial crisis of modern times.
Abu Dhabi Airports Company was honoured for its commitment to put corporate responsibility and sustainability at the heart of its business. The airport has made significant inroads into sustainable airport operations and development. A waste management and recycling programme at the airport aims to reduce consumption and recycle 25 % of all wastes. In 2009 the airport launched a “turn it off” campaign to curb the wasteful use of water and power.
Just as Akbar Al Baker’s name is synonymous with Qatar Airways, so the airline is a byword for Qatar’s ambitious growth plans. It embodies the state of Qatar’s quality-driven strategy and only recently won a string of top international awards, including the title of Best Middle Eastern Airline for the fifth successive year given by TTG Asia Pacific.
The full list of award winners:
Airport of the Year – Athens International Airport
Low Cost Carrier of the Year – Air Arabia.
Green initiative of the year by an airport – Abu Dhabi Airports Company.
Green initiative of the year by an Airline – Firefly Malaysia.
Best Airport and Airline Partnership of the Year – Malaysia Airports Berhad and Malaysia Airlines.
Scholarship Committee Recognition Award – Abdullah Al Subai, Director of finance and administration, Qatar Civil Aviation Authority.
Long Term Contribution to ICAO from the GCC region – His Excellency Abdullah Rehaimy, Chairman, General Authority of Civil Aviation, Saudi Arabia.
Long Term Contribution to ICAO from the MENA region – Captain Sameh El Hefny, President, Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority.
Congratulations on Representation Group 3 at ICAO 37 – His Excellency Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General, UAE Civil Aviation Authority.
Long term contribution to the economic growth for Qatar – Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways.
Leaders in Aviation was sponsored by Mitsubishi Corporate Jets. The judges were Graham Lake, Director General, CANSO, Richard Moxon,Lecturer, Department of Air transport, Cranfield University UK, Dr Fred Prata, Principal Scientist, Norweigian Institute of Scientific research and Junichi Miyakawa, VP, Mitsubishi Corporate Jets.
The Awards recognise and honour individuals and organisations for their distinctive contributions made to the aviation industry.
“Honouring achievers and awarding individuals and organisations across a range of categories in the aviation sector, the Leaders in Aviation Awards highlights success stories of the highest order,” said Nicholas Watson, Aviation Director for naseba. “From success stories that span practices and innovation, including corporate achievements, the strongest individual efforts, and the most compelling community efforts, The Leaders in Aviation Awards recognise, promote and reward excellence in the most exciting industry in the world.
“The growth of the aviation industry in the Middle East has been nothing short of revolutionary, both in itself and in its impact on the wider economy. That astonishing record is reflected in the number of awards recognising players in this region’s industry.”
