Etihad Airways and Emirates big winners in CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence

Etihad Airways president and CEO James Hogan has been named the CAPA Aviation Executive of the Year while Emirates has been named CAPA Airline of the Year at the 10th annual CAPA Awards for Excellence at a gala ceremony in Hong Kong.

Peter Harbison, executive chairman of CAPA said, "As the Gulf carriers have progressively disturbed the global airline equilibrium over recent years, 2012 has seen a rapid escalation of this process. None has been more distinctive and mould-changing than Etihad, under the leadership of James Hogan". The strategy the CAPA Aviation Executive of the Year has adopted, of penetrating each of the key regions with targeted partnerships and equity investments, "has set a new - and irreversible - direction for the aviation industry", Mr Harbison said.

Emirates has been named CAPA Airline of the Year for the third time. "Emirates has formulated a comprehensive model which has become a game changer, most notably in 2012 as its network density has gone to a new level. Its strategic leadership in air services liberalisation, despite reaction in some markets, has helped transform traffic flows, contributing to enormous strategic change in the industry. All the while, Emirates has continued to be profitable in face of difficult market conditions".