Doha, Qatar: Celebrating excellence in the aviation industry, APEX-IFSA Awards 2024 presented the Qatar Airways Group CEO HE Akbar Al Baker with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hosted by APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) and the IFSA (International Flight Services Association), the awards is considered the industry's premium event of the year.
APEX CEO Dr Joe Leader presented Al Baker with the coveted APEX CEO Lifetime Achievement Award for his relentless pursuit of excellence, elevating the experience for Qatar Airways passengers, and setting a gold standard that has rippled across the entire airline industry.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive said: “I am deeply honoured to accept the CEO Lifetime Achievement Award from the Airline Passenger Experience Association. Over the last decades, Qatar Airways has grown to become one of the most recognizable and trusted names in the industry, synonymous with customer service quality and luxury. It is owing to the dedication of our employees across the world that our award-winning airline continues to outperform at the top level of our industry. I would like to thank the APEX team for their recognition and hope to continue surpassing all expectations for Qatar Airways in the years to come.”
“As only the sixth-ever APEX CEO Lifetime Achievement winner in our five-decade history, we salute His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, the driving force behind Qatar Airways’ meteoric rise from its inception to a global aviation titan. His relentless pursuit of excellence has ushered in groundbreaking in-flight entertainment, the revolutionary Qsuite experience, which ignited a competitive surge among global airlines in business class luxury, and a service quality that transcends the conventional five-star rating to achieve an APEX World Class status. His legacy epitomizes the power of dedication, innovation, and fervor in sculpting an unparalleled airline customer journey,” said Dr. Joe Leader, APEX CEO.
During the event, HE Al Baker also accepted the airline’s 2024 APEX World Class Award, a step beyond APEX Five Stars voted exclusively by passengers. In addition, the airline secured the APEX Award for Best Entertainment in the Middle East, as well as the APEX Award for Global Best Food & Beverage. The latter is awarded based solely on verified and certified passenger feedback.
Recognizing airlines that excel in guest experience, this category saw Emirates, Japan Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Qatar Airways, SAUDIA, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines taking top honors, added the press statement from APEX.
