Dubai-based Emirates airline has won the Aviation 100 ‘Middle East & Africa Airline of the Year’ title, awarded by Airline Economics magazine.

The Aviation 100 awards recognise aviation’s most outstanding performers, as well as the most innovative and successful finance and leasing deals closed in the last 12 months. The awards were held during the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Dubai conference gala dinner.

Emirates and its financing partners also won ‘Deal of the Year for Innovation’, which resulted from a leasing transaction of five Airbus A380s.

Nirmal Govindadas, senior vice president corporate treasury received both awards on behalf of Emirates earlier this week.

Winners of the Aviation 100 awards are decided by an industry-wide survey, a rigorous vetting process and editorial consideration. The Emirates Aviation 100 ‘Airline of the Year’ accolade was won based on the airline’s financial and revenue per passenger kilometres (RPK) performance, aircraft orders, as well as network and fleet expansion activity. - TradeArabia News Service