Delta Air Lines has been named Business Airline of the Year 2017 at the UK’s Business Travel Awards, beating competition from airlines including EasyJet, Etihad Airways, Norwegian and Qatar Airways. The award is a first for Delta at the annual event, and the first time in over a decade that a U.S. airline has scooped the title.
The 22nd Business Travel Awards were judged by a panel of corporate travel managers and industry specialists, who credited Delta both for its commitment to corporate travelers and its extensive corporate social responsibility program, which includes partnering with The Prince’s Trust and supporting the arts through sponsorship of the Donmar Warehouse and The National Theatre. Additional community projects are planned in the U.K. for the coming months.
“The Business Travel Awards are the U.K.’s leading industry awards and this recognition is testament to the hard work the team has put in to raise our profile with business and leisure travelers in this competitive market,” said Frank Jahangir, Staff Vice President – Sales and Affairs, EMEA. “Coming first against airlines such as Etihad and Qatar shows that Delta is not just winning in London, we’re also the leading choice for travel to the U.S. in the U.K.”
“The judges recognized how far we’ve come, successfully overcoming any past image problems to offer a great service, competitively priced fares and an extensive network, with a real focus on the corporate market,” said Nat Pieper, Senior Vice President – EMEA. “This award shows we’re the choice of global customers thanks to our innovative approach, reliability and world-class products.”
In recent years, Delta has strengthened its presence in the U.K. market, with particular focus on its London network and business travel. All Delta flights from the U.K. to the U.S. feature flat-bed seats and are Wi-Fi equipped. Meanwhile, the successful joint venture partnership with Virgin Atlantic Airways, now in its fourth year, offers a comprehensive network to the U.S. with up to 40 daily flights – including 28 services from London-Heathrow. The joint venture is also the London airport’s most on-time partnership, with Delta also taking the top spot for on-time performance at Heathrow last year.
