Oman Air’s Business Class seat shines best at World Airline Awards 2012

For the second year running, Oman Air has won ‘Best Business Class Airline Seat’ at the prestigious World Airline Awards, run by Skytrax. The award recognises Oman Air’s Airbus A330 Business Class seat and was presented to the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Wayne Pearce, at a ceremony held at the UK’s Farnborough International Airshow 2012, on Thursday 12 July.

Oman Air was also nominated in a number of other categories and came second in the ‘Best Airline Staff Service in Middle East’ and ‘Best First Class Catering’ categories and third in the ‘World’s Best Business Class’ category. In addition, top 10 placings were achieved in the ‘Best First Class Airline Seat’ and ‘Best Business Class Airline Lounge’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ categories.

Wayne Pearce commented,“Winning Best Business Class Seat in the World for the second consecutive year is an outstanding accolade, as is being nominated in so many other categories, and I would like to thank the World Airline Awards and all those who voted for Oman Air.  

“This award recognises the superb quality of our Business Class product and the number of votes that Oman Air received indicates not only that our customers are impressed by their passenger experience, but also that our Business Class service truly exceeds their expectations.

“Ever since we introduced our A330 Business Class seat, with its unparalleled comfort, space and luxury, customers have often mistaken it for First Class and it is clear that our focus on delivering the very best in all areas of our work is appreciated by air travellers around the world.”

Skytrax is recognised worldwide as the leading independent authority on airline quality and assessment.  Voted by millions of airline passengers from all over the world, Skytrax’s World Airline Awards are the most prestigious recognition of front-line product and service standards for the world airline industry.  The World Airline Awards prize recognises the excellence of Oman Air’s Business Class seat on its Airbus A330 aircraft, which offers spacious and luxurious interiors, combined with state-of-the-art technology.

The Business Class cabin offers 20 spacious seats fitted in a four-abreast, one-two-one configuration, ensuring that every passenger has direct aisle access. Each seat has a pitch of 82 inches and converts to a 77-inch long fully lie-flat bed.

User-friendly seat controls, ample stowage space and a privacy screen combine with a large 17-inch inflight entertainment monitor, Ethernet and power sockets and Oman Air’s pioneering mobile phone and wi-fi connectivity to create the perfect Business Class environment. The experience is complemented by highly-trained flight attendants in Balenciaga-designed uniforms, who offer the warm hospitality for which Oman Air is renowned.

The quality of Oman Air’s Business Class cabin is matched by that of its A330 Economy Class cabin. Seats with a 34-inch pitch ensure maximum legroom, whilst adjustable head and leg rests add to passenger comfort. Touch-screen 10.4-inch seatback IFE monitors provide access to all the latest movies, music and games, whilst USB sockets and RCA video multi-plugs allow passengers to plug in their own devices and personalise their IFE experience.

In addition, every pair of seats offers a universal power socket and Ethernet socket (RJ45). Excellent service and a delicious menu complement the high standards of seat and cabin design, putting Oman Air at the forefront of inflight hospitality.

The World Airline Awards accolade follows Oman Air’s transformation in recent years to become a luxury international carrier with an expanding fleet and growing network. Flying to destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa, the airline has recently announced record revenues and passenger numbers, and for the past two years Oman Air has won awards at an average rate of one a month.

Wayne Pearce concluded, “Everyone at Oman Air, both on the ground and aboard our growing fleet of aircraft, is tremendously proud of this international recognition.  It is immensely satisfying that Oman Air can rise above the competition and emerge triumphant for two years running and we look forward to welcoming many more passengers to our award-winning Business Class seat.”