Gulf Air bags awards for airline services

Gulf Air added three more prestigious awards in its growing collection of accolades and citations for excellent service after it won at the 12th Annual World Travel Awards in London and at the Arabian Business Awards 2005 in Dubai.

The airline bagged last Nov. 13 the Middle East Leading First Class Airline Award and the World’s Leading Airport Lounge Award for its first and business class lounge in Bahrain at the 12th Annual World Travel Awards held at a gala ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London.

At the Arabian Business Awards 2005 early this week at the Jumeirah Conference Center in Dubai, Gulf Air was named the Middle East’s "Travel and Tourism Company of the Year".

"These latest achievements reflect the dedication of airline executives and personnel to offer first-rate service and top quality products to our customers – the travelers," Robert Hukom, Gulf Air Philippines country manager said of the latest feats, echoing the reaction of top Gulf Air executives around the world.

"We at the Philippine station are inspired to work harder to live up to our growing worldwide reputation as a top quality company," Hukom added.

James Hogan, Gulf Air president and chief executive, said in a statement the airline issued after the awarding of the three citations: "This is a very proud moment for us. The entire team at Gulf Air has worked relentlessly to provide the best service in the sky and on the ground. We have invested heavily in our refurbished planes, which has led to the creation of one of the best first class products in the skies, and, with these awards, it’s now officially the best in the Middle East."

Hogan said they are constantly reviewing what the company is offering to passengers in order to provide services and products that would set it apart from the competition.

The latest recognition followed the most recent Skytrax awards, which bestowed on Gulf Air the "World Airline Catering Awards" for topping both the first class and business class onboard catering.

Gulf Air’s worldwide ranking likewise dramatically moved up in the October 2005 survey results released by Skytrax, the United Kingdom-based research company for the commercial airline industry. Its first class section is now ranked number six while its business class section is ranked number 12.

"These awards are a strong endorsement of the hard work that has gone into the development of the Gulf Air brand. We owe a debt of thanks to our shareholding owner states for their vision and unconditional support and equally to our employees whose commitment and effort are responsible for reshaping Gulf Air," Hogan stressed.

Hogan recently visited the Philippines as part of the company’s thrust to further strengthen its worldwide operations and offer better services to passengers.