Etihad Crystal Cargo, the cargo division of Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has been voted “Best Airline to the Indian Sub-Continent” at the prestigious Cargo Airline of the Year Awards.
The award was presented to Ingo Roessler, VP Etihad Crystal Cargo, by BBC news anchor, Natasha Kaplinsky and Vipul Jain, CEO managing director, KALE consulting, at a ceremony in London.
With more than 22,000 votes submitted, Etihad Crystal Cargo achieved first place in the “Best airline to the Indian Sub-continent” category ahead of a number of global competitors.
Etihad Crystal Cargo was also nominated for the categories of “Best Airline to the Middle East” and overall “Best Cargo Airline of the Year”.
“The award is a tremendous success for Etihad Airways. The achievements of our first two years of operation are second-to-none, because no other airline has ever been able achieve what we have in such short time,” said Ingo Roessler, Vice President Cargo, Etihad Airways.
The Indian subcontinent is one of the most important markets for Etihad Crystal Cargo, with approximately 25 percent of its overall production.
Etihad Crystal Cargo’s Airbus A300-600RF regional freighter fleet serves Chennai three times a week and Kolkata two times a week. In addition, Etihad Crystal Cargo operates one all-cargo service per week to Mumbai, offering a cargo capacity of up to 44 tonnes per flight.
Furthermore, Etihad Airways offers seven Guest services a week to Mumbai and three Guest services a week to Delhi, with a cargo capacity between 12-15 tonnes per flight at a full passenger load.
“The Indian Sub-continent is one of the most attractive and busiest air cargo markets. Being awarded “Best Airline to the Indian Sub-continent” shows that we have been able not only to gain significant momentum in this important market, but also to create and successfully launch a service that fulfils our customers’ needs,” continued Roessler.
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To receive the award, senior representatives from Etihad Crystal Cargo’s team travelled to London and attended the festive gala at the Royal Lancaster Hotel.
“This success has to be credited to the enthusiasm of the whole team at Etihad Crystal Cargo. Special praise must go to those working in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Sub-continent,” concluded Roessler.
The “Cargo Airline of the Year Awards” ceremony was organised for the 23rd time by TabMag Publishing - Aircargo News, and is considered as one of the leading awards in the cargo industry.
Only two days before being voted “Best Airline to the Indian Sub-continent”, Etihad Crystal Cargo has received an award in Germany, its second most important market.
In an “Aircargo Excellence survey,” conducted by a renowned German institute on behalf of Logistik Inside, a leading German cargo magazine, Etihad Crystal Cargo achieved the first place in the “value” category and ninth place in the overall performance out of 55 airlines.
Etihad Crystal Cargo also recently received an “Excellence Award 2006” certificate Air Cargo World (USA), one of the leading air cargo magazines.
The number of awards recently received by Etihad Crystal Cargo underlines the success of Etihad Airways’ cargo division in the first two years of its operation.
In its first full year of operation, 2004, Etihad Crystal Cargo lifted 20,000 tonnes of cargo. In 2005 the Abu Dhabi based carrier was able to raise the volume by more than 400 percent to more than 70,000 tonnes. The total turnover in 2005 amounted US$ 100m. The target for 2006 is in excess of US$ 200m.
Etihad Airways is also on a steep growth path, currently introducing at least one new route a month and enlarging its fleet with modern aircraft.
About Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is the world’s fastest growing airline and currently flies to 30 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America and Asia.
The cargo division of Etihad Airways, Etihad Crystal Cargo, offers a comprehensive range of cargo services on all flights of the airline's rapidly expanding network. In addition, a fleet of regional freighter aircraft operates all-cargo destinations - currently Frankfurt, Mumbai, Milan, Chennai, Khartoum, New Delhi, Calcutta - and worldwide charter flights. Etihad Crystal Cargo's services are based on three fundamental promises - Ultimate Information Transparency, 21st Century Technology and Total Customer Focus.
Together with its divisions Etihad Holidays and Etihad Crystal Cargo, Etihad Airways is changing the way people see the world.
