Around 350 aviation professionals were gathered to witness the presentation of the awards and to take part in this year’s Routes Middle East & Africa.
Last night during the Networking Evening at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay in Manama, Bahrain, Dubai International Airport was announced as the overall winner of the Middle East & Africa heat of the 2015 Routes Marketing Awards. Around 350 aviation professionals were gathered to witness the presentation of the awards and to take part in this year’s Routes Middle East & Africa – the inaugural route development event for all aviation based companies who wish to conduct business to, from and within the region.
“We are really grateful for this recognition. This is important for us. We thank all of our airline partners for their trust and for their votes. Our aim is to deliver excellence in all what we do and we aim to continue doing this,” said Khalil Lamrabet, Director of Aviation Business Development, Dubai Airports.
The annual Routes Marketing Awards are highly regarded as the most prestigious awards in the industry as they are voted for and judged by the airline network planning community. They provide the airline community with the chance to have their say, regarding the airport or tourism authority they think has provided the best overall services to them relating to route development and marketing over the past year, to establish new or maintain and develop existing routes.
Dubai International Airport was also named as the winner in the over 20 million passengers category. In the 4-20 million passengers category Madinah Airport was ranked top. The under 4 million passengers award went to Kilimanjaro International Airport for the third consecutive year. Shortlisted for the first time, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority won the destination category.
“The team at Dubai International Airport clearly understands the value of airline engagement and the figures speak for themselves, with 16 airlines increasing their services, three new carriers, 16 new destinations and an increase in frequency to 48 existing destinations,” said Adrian Newton, Group Director – Aviation & Technology Director, UBM EMEA.
“Their comprehensive marketing plan played a key role in strengthening the airport’s brand and stimulating traffic demand, taking over as the world’s busiest international airport in terms of yearly passenger traffic in 2014. The judging panel was impressed by the team’s integrated, comprehensive marketing strategy that included direct airline engagement, an enhanced digital presence and imaginative content marketing, cementing the airport’s commitment to quality, world-class service and standards,” he added.
The shortlisted finalists were nominated by airline network planners; a respected panel of judges, comprising senior members of the airline network planning community from the region, reviewed the lists and submissions from the nominated airports in order to determine the winners. The panel consisted of the following judges:
- Richard Bodin, Chief Commercial Officer, Fastjet
- Dharmender T. Hunjan, Vice President Airline Partnerships, Qatar Airways
- Matome Ramokgobedi, Network Planning, Commercial, South African Airways
The awards will culminate at World Routes in Durban this September, with the overall winner of each Regional Award, automatically shortlisted for the World Routes Awards. Dubai International Airport joins Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Tourism Australia and Brussels Airport, recently announced as overall winners of the Americas, Asia and European heats respectively.
The full list of companies shortlisted under each award category were as follows:
Over 20 Million Passengers
- Dubai International Airport – Winner & Overall Winner
- Abu Dhabi International Airport – Highly Commended
- King Abdulaziz International Airport
4–20 Million Passengers
- Madinah Airport – Winner
- Addis Ababa Bole International Airport
- Cape Town International Airport – Highly Commended
- Lagos – Murtala Muhammed
- O.R. Tambo International Airport
- Queen Alia International Airport
Under 4 Million Passengers
- Kilimanjaro International Airport – Winner
- Entebbe International Airport
- Julius Nyerere International Airport – Highly Commended
- Quatro de Fevereiro Airport
- Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport
Destination Marketing Award
- Zimbabwe Tourism Authority – Winner
- Jordan Tourism Board
- Tourism Ministry of Egypt and Egyptian Tourist Authority
- Tanzania Tourist Board
Winner Khalil Lamrabet, Director of Aviation Business Development, Dubai Airports accepting on behalf of Dubai International Airport with Adrian Newton, Group Director – Aviation and Technology Director, UBM EMEA.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
