Oman Air was named winner of the World's Best Business Class Airline Seat award at the 2011 World Airline Awards, in a ceremony held in the French Air and Space Museum at the Paris Air Show.
The runners-up in this Best Business Class Airline Seat category are Singapore Airlines taking 2nd place in the category, ahead of Qatar Airways in 3rd position. The national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman was presented with the Best Business Class Seat award at a ceremony attended by more than 50 airlines.
The awards are based on the views of nearly 20 million air passengers, who were surveyed by Skytrax over the last year.
Oman Air's Chief Executive Officer, Peter Hill, commented:
"We are delighted that Oman Air has been named as winner in the Best Business Class Seat category of the World Airline Awards, which are the most prestigious accolades available within the global airline industry.
"Our Business Class seat is regularly mistaken for First Class. It offers unparalleled levels of space, comfort and amenity and has proved extremely popular with our customers.
"Competition at the World Airline Awards for the title of 'Best Business Class Seat' is fierce and it is enormously satisfying to know that air travellers regard our seat as the best in the world.
Oman Air's award-winning Business Class seat offers comfort and luxury within an 82-inch pitch, direct aisle access for every passenger and converts to a 77.5-inch long fully lie-flat bed. A 17-inch inflight entertainment screen gives access to a huge range of movies, music and games, whilst a universal power point, USB port and iPod sockets enable passengers to personalise their entertainment options by plugging in their laptops, smart phones, tablet PCs or games consoles. Retractable privacy screens, buddy seats and ample storage add to the experience, putting the passenger fully in control of their personal space.
The World Airline Awards, also known as the Passenger Choice Awards, are recognised as the benchmark for excellence in the airline industry. They are informed by a survey carried out over a period of 10 months by renowned independent airline experts Skytrax. The views of 18.8 million air travellers, from more than 100 different countries, are surveyed and responses cover over 200 airlines of all sizes. Standards across nearly 40 different items of airline front-line product and service are measured and analysed, from check-in to boarding, onboard seat comfort and cabin cleanliness to food and beverages, and from IFE to staff service.
Oman Air's success in the World Airline Awards follows a period of rapid change for the airline, during which it has emerged as a niche luxury carrier. Having introduced a fleet of new Airbus A330 aircraft with outstanding interiors, as well as state-of-the-art Embraer 175 short haul jets, Oman Air has expanded its network to include more than 40 exciting destinations. In addition to offering audio and video on demand and live satellite TV onboard its A330s, Oman Air pioneered inflight mobile phone and Wi-Fi connectivity and has received acclaim for its inflight dining, refreshments and amenity kits.
Having recently unveiled ultra-luxurious First Class and Business Class lounges at Muscat International Airport, the airline has just launched a new First Class lounge-to-aircraft limousine service, with a chauffeur-driven fleet of Audi A8s.
Peter Hill added:
"Oman Air offers unbeatable luxury, hospitality and value for all our customers. We are continuously seeking new ways to surprise and delight passengers and we look forward to announcing fantastic new products and services which will offer even greater 'passenger choice."
