SIA RECEIVES ACCOLADES FROM THE WORLD OVER

From customers to airline industry executives, and from analysts to travel trade executives, Singapore Airlines (SIA) continues to receive resounding plaudits as one of the world’s top airlines.

Making a sweep of most of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific 2000 Annual Travel Awards in the airline category, SIA was voted Best International Airline, with Best First Class, Best Business Class, Best Cabin Crew Service, Best Inflight Food, Best Inflight Entertainment, Best Comfort of Seating, and Best Airline Wine Cellar.

The results are based on responses received through questionnaires sent to more than 10,000 Business Traveller subscribers in June this year. SIA was also praised for its excellent punctuality and safety record. Business Traveller Asia Pacific is a renowned consumer travel magazine in the region whose annual awards are coveted within the travel and tourism industry.

This year, for the first time ever, SIA also grabbed the top spot in the airline industry category in Fortune magazine’s recent listings of the world’s Most Admired Companies. Rated by industry executives and analysts on nine criteria – quality of management, quality of product and services, innovativeness, long-term investment value, financial soundness, ability to develop and retain talent, community responsibility, use of corporate assets, and global business acumen – SIA scored the highest overall rankings, ahead of US carriers Southwest and Continental Airlines.

In the category of product and services, SIA was ranked second globally as Most Admired Company, behind the New York Times, while regionally, the Airline topped the Asia (outside of Japan) category, ahead of Australian companies News Corp and Coles Myer.

Endorsement of SIA’s product and services was also received from the travel trade in the Asia/Pacific region. SIA was TravelAsia magazine’s Airline of the Year and picked up a similar award at the recent National Travel Industry Awards in Sydney, Australia.

The TravelAsia award, following a campaign that ran from April to August 2000, took into account such criteria as the ability of the airline to reinvent itself in the New Economy by understanding customer needs, and embracing issues such as technology, training and environment. It also took into account the ability to overcome critical challenges and the airline’s vision for the future.

Australia’s National Travel Industry ‘Airline of the Year’ award was bestowed on SIA in recognition of Singapore Airlines efforts to develop unrivalled product superiority and to build its presence in the Australian market, in its own right, through equity and alliance partnerships.

These awards are the latest in the growing haul of awards SIA has received from around the world since the beginning of the year.