Korean Air has been announced Air Transport World’s (ATW) 2021 Airline of the year. ATW’s annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards was launched in 1974 and this year’s awards ceremony will be held in Boston on October 5, 2021.
On Tuesday (June 29, 2021), Korean Air announced that they have received the prestigious Air Transport World (ATW) ‘Airline of the Year’ award. ATW launched the annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards in 1974, which is considered the ‘Academy Awards’ for the airline industry. This year, the awards ceremony will be held in Boston, Massachusetts (U.S.) on October 5, 2021. In making their decision, ATW’s global judging editors and analysts cited Korean Air’s excellent leadership, their ability to remain profitable during the pandemic, commitment to health safety and customer excellence, and remarkable relationship with employees, as well as the carrier’s transformational strategic deal to acquire Asiana.
In Today’s announcement, Korean Air’s Chairman and CEO, Walter Cho, said,
“We are so honored to receive ATW’s prestigious Airline of the Year award. This award is a tribute to our employees for their dedication, sacrifices and loyalty, especially during the tumultuous past year. I’m so grateful and proud of our team. We’ve come a long way and are committed to being a smart, resilient and sustainable respected leader in the global aviation industry. We will continue to deliver excellence in flight as we connect the global community. We thank ATW for this award as well as for its continued industry leadership.”
Also speaking on Korean Air’s award, Air Transport World’s Editor-in-Chief, Karen Walker, said,
“Korean Air and its team of dedicated employees have truly demonstrated excellence across the board. We are delighted for them and offer sincere congratulations.”
Korean Air is one of the only airlines that reported operating profits four consecutive of quarters during the pandemic from the second quarter of 2020 through the first quarter of 2021. With the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the company made the strategic decision to focus on the cargo business and to maximize cargo capacity by converting passenger aircraft into freighters. In the largest global aviation deal during the pandemic, Korean Air also made the bold decision to acquire their competitor, Asiana Airlines. After successfully integrating Asian Airlines, Korean Air’s goal is to become one of the world’s top 10 airlines.
Source: Korean Air