By Rafiq Vayani
ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has been officially rated a Five-Star Global Airline by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX). The award was presented to the airline at the virtual APEX Award Ceremony, part of the FTE APEX Virtual Expo, on 9 December.
The APEX Official Airline Ratings™ were created based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback and insights gathered through APEX’s partnership with TripIt® from Concur®, the world’s highest-rated travel-organising app. Using a five-star scale, nearly one million flights were rated by passengers across more than 600 airlines from around the world. The APEX Official Airline Ratings™ were independently certified by a professional external auditing company.
Terry Daly, Executive Director Guest Experience, Brand & Marketing, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “The entire Etihad team is honoured to be recognised by APEX as a five-star airline in the 2021 Official Airline Ratings. This would always be a special achievement, but in 2020, it is even more rewarding. This year has challenged the aviation industry in ways we could never have imagined. Yet throughout it all, Etihad’s talented and professional team, has made us proud.”
Etihad has led the industry’s response to the pandemic, with the introduction of the Etihad Wellness programme, which ensures the highest standards of hygiene are maintained at every stage of the customer journey. This includes specially trained Wellness Ambassadors, a first in the industry, who are available to support passengers online, at the airport, and on board.
In order to ensure complete peace of mind for its guests, Etihad is the only airline in the world requiring 100% of its passengers to show a negative PCR test before travelling and then retesting on arrival. Etihad also provides COVID-19 wellness insurance to all guests, no exceptions, as further evidence of its commitment to passenger safety and wellbeing.
“Etihad’s commitment to our guests is at the heart of everything we do, and this five-star rating is testament to our efforts. Etihad is grateful to APEX for recognising the lengths we have gone to keep our guests safe and well,” Mr. Daly continued.
