On 16 October 2009 Swiss International Air Lines received the esteemed ‘best short-haul airline’ award at the 23rd Annual Guardian and Observer Travel Awards.

Voting from Guardian and Observer readers took place from March 2009 onwards, with more than 19,248 readers participating in the travel awards survey to give their views.

Gregor Koncilja, SWISS’s country manager for the UK and Ireland, commented, “We are very pleased to receive another high-profile national award, not least because it highlights the recognition that SWISS is striving to offer the best quality service and product amongst travellers in Britain.

“The fact that we’ve added a second major UK travel recognition, following the runner up award in this year’s prestigious Conde Nast Traveller reader awards, goes to show that travellers in this country are genuinely starting to appreciate the combination of quality and value for money that our airline offers.

“It’s good to see such a high number of voters, which goes to show that travel is still a top priority for much of the British public. We do hope that our ongoing efforts to offer low fares and the fact that we’re amongst the only airlines carrying ski equipment for free out of the UK will only serve to increase our popularity,” continued Koncilja.