Etihad Airways named world's leading airline for the fourth consecutive year

Etihad Airways has brought home top honours at the World Travel Awards, taking the World's Leading Airline title for the fourth year in a row. The awards were announced last night at a black-tie gala event at the Oberoi Gurgaon in New Delhi, India. Etihad Airways also received recognition for its Diamond First Class product, named the World's Leading First Class. The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to seek out and reward the very best travel organisations in the world, acknowledging the elite organisations in their respective fields through a global industry vote. In 2012, nearly 650,000 votes were cast by travel professionals from 191 countries. The World Travel Awards have achieved top industry status and been named by the Wall Street Journal as the "Oscars of the Travel Industry". At the 2012 World Travel Awards Middle East, held in May in Dubai, Etihad Airways received four top awards for the region. The accolades included: Middle East's Leading Airline; Middle East's Leading Airline First Class; Middle East's Leading Airline In-flight Entertainment; and Middle East's Leading Cabin Staff. - Emirates News Agency, WAM