Emirates, US-Bangla, Biman win Monitor Airline of the Year-2015 awards
Dhaka : Emirates has been voted the best airline; US-Bangla Airlines, the best domestic airline; Cathay Pacific Dragon Air, the best cargo airline; and Kuala Lumpur, the most popular destination for the year 2015 by the frequent fliers of Bangladesh.
The winners received Monitor Airline of the Year-2015 awards at a gala ceremony held at the Ballroom of Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka on May 12.
Rashed Khan Menon, Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, was the chief guest on the occasion and presented the awards. Abdul Matlub Ahmad, President, Federa-tion of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry was the special guest. A large number of guests from aviation, hospitality and travel trade sectors of the industry were present at the event.
Other winners
As per the frequent fliers poll, Emirates also won Best Business Class, Best Long-Haul Airline, Best Inflight Entertainment and Best Frequent Flyer programme -Skywards_ awards. Etihad Airways won Best Economy Class; Turkish won award for Best Inflight Meal in Business Class; Biman Bangladesh Airlines won Best Inflight Meal in Economy Class; Bangkok Airways won award as Best Short-haul Airline; Tiger Airways won Best Budget Carrier; US-Bangla Airlines was voted as Best Domestic Airline and Best Air Express company award went to DHL Express. The Jury Committee also selected domestic airline NOVOAIR and Qatar Airways for its Appreciation awards.
The objective
The airline industry always promises to upgrade service and performance. A consumer poll is just to see how the airlines lived up to those promises.
There was nothing of its kind in Bangladesh market. So, premier travel publication_ The Bangladesh Monitor_ instituted “Airline of the Year” awards in the year 2007 through frequent flier opinion poll, to monitor and judge service standards of the airlines, operating to and from Bangladesh. The purpose is to create a healthy competition amongst them. It has now become an annual event.
As airline customer service issues have moved to the forefront, the survey of the airline services through opinion poll is recognised across the globe as the leading independent monitor of passenger opinions. The survey outcome offers the only truly open and uninfluenced results. The poll applies certain well-recognised set of theory to evaluate the service quality of airline.
The procedure
Monitor Airline of the Year-2015 awards presented in 14 categories. More than 14,126 frequent fliers expressed their opinion on these categories. Of them, 12,870 expressed their opinion on-line and the rest filled up specific form to express their views.
An independent Jury Board, composed of professionals from different sections of the corporate world, media, travel and hospitality trade, reviewed the data collected and passed their judgments.
The Jury Committee for Airline of the Year-2015, was headed by Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, CEO, Tiger Tours. Other members are Prof. Shibli Rubayatul Islam, Dean, Faculty of Business Studies, University of Dhaka. Barrister Faheemul Huq, Huq & Co. SN Manzur Murshed Mahbub, President, ATAB. MA Awal Director, Sales & Marketing, Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka. Ziaul Karim, Head of Communi-cations, Eastern Bank Ltd. Faridur Reza Sagar Managing Director, Impress Telefilm and Channel-I and Syed Faheem Munaim Chief Executive Officer, Masranga TV.
Growing market
Speaking on the occasion, Rashed Khan Menon said that the country’s aviation sector has been growing at healthy rate and has all potentials to become a regional aviation hub. He also underscored the value of events like Airline of the Year polls, to improve the services of the operating airlines. He lauded the role of The Bangladesh Monitor for instituting this event.
Menon said while private airlines of Bangladesh are expanding, their routes and providing air transportation to more and more places are on the increase, the foreign airlines are seeking more frequencies, to meet the growing market demand.
Along with growth of passenger travel, demand for air cargo is also growing. Even foreign carriers have started cargo flight to and from Chittagong, the minister said.
Menon told the audience, the action taken and progress made in improving aviation security all over the country-both passenger and cargo.
Shirking leg space
Special guest Abdul Matlub Ahmad said polls of this kind generate competition among the operators and benefit passengers through better services.
As a frequent flyer himself, Matlub mentioned shrinking leg space in different airlines, specially the gap between Econo-my Class and two upper classes-business and First Class.
He agreed that passengers of Business and First Classes are paying much higher fares, but said Economy Class passengers are being deprived by the airlines, as the leg space they get is very poor and disproportionate.
Matlub alleged that airlines are not treating expatriate workers fairly and asked the government to do something to protect the interest of these hapless passengers. These workers are sending 16 billion dollars a year and deserve better treatment.
Chairman of Jury Committee Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury introduced his team and explained the procedure followed in selecting for awards. Selection process was very fair and objective, he said.
Sellers market
Earlier, welcoming the guests, Chairman of the organising Committee and Editor of The Bangladesh Monitor Kazi Wahidul Alam said that after nine years, it is still unsure about progress in reaching the objective of the event and announced that the effort would continue till the time, when thousands of air travellers in the country, would get better value for their money.
He said that Bangladesh still considered to be a sellers’ market for the airlines, as demand for airline seats are higher than the available seats. As a result almost all the airlines enjoy over eighty per cent load factor almost throughout the year, which is much above than the industry average worldwide. In past six years, between 2009 and 2015, Bangladesh achieved over 25 per cent growth in air passenger traffic, while some of the airlines even registered a growth of almost 45 per cent, compared to their previous year’s performance.
Bangladesh is among the top revenue generating countries of a number of airlines, operating here. But unfortunately the kind of attention the country should have received from the foreign airlines in terms of upgrading their overall service standards, is not seen Wahid added.
Wahid said that Bangladeshi passengers although constitute a significant part of their global passenger base, most of the Airlines do not care to offer Bangla inflight contents, like movies, music or other entertainment programme on board. Until now only Emirates and Oman Air and lately Qatar Airways show Bangladeshi movies and entertainment progreamme on board.
Talking about Bangladeshi carriers_ both public and private_ Wahid said Biman Bangladesh Airlines is trying to improve its service standards. With the induction of new generation aircraft in the fleet, the airline has already improved its schedule regularity.
All three private airlines are doing well in maintaining service standards, schedule regularity and marker acceptability. Regent Airways and NOVOAIR have already spread their wings beyond national boundary and US-Bangla Airlines just made its mark by launching its first international flight to Kathmandu on May 15.
A sumptuous dinner followed the award distribution ceremony.
