KATHMANDU: Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, has been named ‘Best Airline’ at the prestigious 2019 Business Traveler Awards.

The airline has also been awarded the ‘Best Long-Haul Airline’, ‘Best Business Class’ and ‘Best Middle Eastern Airline’ at the London’s Royal Garden Hotel this week.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, expressed the gratitude saying to be recognized as the Best Airline with the prestigious awards was a huge honor for Qatar Airways and an appreciation of its promise to consistently deliver a truly world-class service.

He added that the Business Traveler readers were invited to vote for the awards, which were further authenticated by an independent auditing company.

According to a statement, the awards were collected from the host, BBC News journalist John Pienaar, on behalf of Qatar Airways by the airline’s European Senior Vice President Sylvain Bosc and the UK and Ireland Country Manager Gary Kershaw.

Qatar Airways has been the only airline to have been awarded the coveted “Skytrax Airline of the Year” title recognized as the ‘pinnacle of excellence’ in the airline industry, five times.

This was the latest in a string of awards successes for Qatar Airways, as the airline was also named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, and managed by international air transport rating organization Skytrax.

The airways also collected the ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite — a patented Qatar Airways product that features the industry’s first-ever double bed in Business Class, as well as privacy panels that stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room, a first of its kind in the industry.

Qatar Airways has been the only airline to have been awarded the coveted “Skytrax Airline of the Year” title recognized as the ‘pinnacle of excellence’ in the airline industry, five times.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), to more than 160 destinations worldwide.

Likewise, the airline alliance One-World, of which Qatar Airways has been a member since 2013, won the ‘Best Airline Alliance’ award, confirming its position as the world’s premier global airline alliance.

The airline also recently launched an array of new destinations such as Izmir, Turkey; Malta; Rabat, Morocco; Lisbon, Portugal; Davao, Philippines; and Mogadishu of Somalia.

Qatar Airways, which is also the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

The airline has plans to add Langkawi, Malaysia to its route network later this month; with Gaborone, Botswana; Luanda, Angola and Osaka, Japan set to follow over the next few months.

Qatar Airways is celebrating more than 20 years of ‘Going Places Together’ with travelers across its more than 160 business and leisure destinations on board a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft.

Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, B777, A350, A380, A319, and select A320 and A330 aircraft was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 160 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.

According to the airlines, Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system has been offering passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, music, TV box sets, games, among others.

Qatar Airways, which is also the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes two Boeing 747-8 freighters, 17 Boeing 777 freighters, and five Airbus A330 freighters.

Likewise, the Qatar Airways Cargo has been serving more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide and delivers freight to more than 160 key business and leisure destinations globally on more than 250 aircraft.