ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards - Categories, Criteria, and Rules

Submissions are now closed.

Please direct any questions to ATW Editor-in-Chief Karen Walker at karen.walker@penton.com or +1.301.755.0165.
 

IMPORTANT NOMINATION SUBMISSION NOTES

Nominations can be submitted for multiple categories. Each nomination should provide evidence and data to support the criteria listed below, and outline the achievements specific to each of the award criteria. We expect to see supporting documentation that includes financial figures, traffic data, and operational data. An introductory overview by the airline/company CEO is also welcome. We prefer Word documents but also accept PDFs. Other supporting documentation can include press releases, video, images, and customer endorsements. Please upload your supporting documentation to the online submission form.

If your nominee is selected, you will be contacted directly by the editor. Winners will be expected to provide at least 20 high-resolution images and high-quality Beta video showing the winner's operations. ATW creative and production editors will convert into a show presentation at the Awards Gala Dinner. All materials will be required to be with the ATW editor by no later than December 1, 2014.

Winners will be invited to the ATW 41st Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards gala dinner, where ATW Editors will present the awards. Winners and their achievements will feature in a special section of the ATW February 2015 edition. Highlights of the Gala Awards event will also be published in the ATW March 2015 edition.

AIRLINE OF THE YEAR

2014 Winner: Delta Air Lines
2013 Winner: All Nippon Airways

Nominees for ATW’s top award for outstanding performance can be any carrier that has demonstrated consistent overall excellence for the awards period September 2013 - September 2014. 

The winner must demonstrate the following criteria:

• Excellence, innovation and leadership by executive management
• Strong financial discipline
• Consistent and excellent safety record
• Proven leadership in community, eco and technology endeavors
• Consistent high standards of customer service
• Excellent labor relations

AIRLINE MARKET LEADER OF THE YEAR

2014 Winner: Etihad Airways
2013 Winner: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Nominees for the Airline Market Leadership Award are carriers that have developed or entered new markets and/or innovative business strategies that have grown their networks, revenues, customer base and/or brand recognition.

The winner must demonstrate the following criteria:

• A marketing strategy that has delivered measurable results in customer and/or revenue growth
• A business strategy that has increased brand recognition and loyalty across existing and new customers
• An innovative marketing and branding strategy that differentiates the carrier from its competitors

VALUE AIRLINE OF THE YEAR

2014 Winner: WestJet
2013 Winner: Vueling

Nominees for the Value Airline of the Year Award are carriers that maintain low costs, low fares and deliver value to employees, shareholders and/or investors, as well as to customers.

The winner must demonstrate the following criteria:

• Disciplined and rigorous cost control
• Innovative and motivational practices that incentivize employees
• Strong safety and operational performances
• Positive growth trends
• Customer loyalty via low-cost innovations

ECO-AVIATION LEADER OF THE YEAR - NEW!

The winner of the Eco-Aviation Excellence Award must demonstrate eco-aviation leadership through innovation. This category is open to all airlines, manufacturers, specialist companies, agencies and organizations. If they are working on an eco-project collaboratively, companies, airlines and organizations can submit a joint nomination.

The 2015 inaugural Eco-Aviation Excellence Award winner will demonstrate:

• Industry-leading commitment to technologies and efforts that increase operational efficiency and reduce emissions and dependency on oil
• Pioneering solutions to environmental problems
• Environmental concern and action through community involvement

The ATW editors and publisher, who judge the awards, will place strong emphasis on nominees providing data and evidence that supports how they measure the results of their eco-endeavors and how they share best practices across the aviation community.

REGIONAL AIRLINE OF THE YEAR

2014 Winner: SkyWest
2013 Winner: Silver Airways

Nominees for the Regional Airline of the Year Award are carriers that provide service to/from markets generally not operated to by major carriers though they may connect those markets to major points on the global aviation network. They may provide service on a contract basis and/or independently branded flying.

The winner must demonstrate the following criteria:

• Demonstrates operational excellence and efficient use of smaller aircraft
• Develops/opens up/exploits markets not part of the mainline international airline network
• Sets first-rate safety standards
• Provides consistent high standards of customer service

TECHNOLOGY ACHIEVEMENT

2014 Winner: JetBlue Airways
2013 Winner: Lufthansa

Nominees for the Technology Achievement Award are carriers that have demonstrated innovation and follow-through in the application of a new technology or system that has enhanced their operational, financial and/or market share performance. Examples of technology fields include aircraft, avionics, air traffic control, maintenance, computer systems, customer-interface systems, in-flight entertainment systems, fuel efficiency and eco-aviation systems.

The winner must demonstrate the following criteria:

• Introduction and integration of a technology that has delivered measurable results
• Innovation and leadership in the development and/or application of that technology or system
• Benefit of that technology to the airline and/or to the greater airline industry

AIRPORT OF THE YEAR

2014 Winner: Singapore Changi Airport

The winner of the 2015 Airport of the Year Award should demonstrate:

• A clear and excellent partnership with airline customers
• High standards of environmentally friendly operational practices
• Innovation in providing excellent facilities for passengers
• Good working relationships with local authorities to ensure the economic value of their airport is understood and supported

ATW'S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

ATW's Lifetime Achievement award recognizes an individual whose commitment, leadership and endeavors have resulted in significant and lasting contributions that have shaped and promoted the global airline industry.
The winner must meet the following criteria:

• Be a globally-recognized industry leader whose active involvement in the airline community spans at least 10 years
• Someone who has created, led and/or promoted activities, projects or campaigns that have benefited the airline industry