Maybe next year...Qantas, Virgin Atlantic, And Srilankan Airlines Named ‘Top Airlines’ For Inflight Entertainment
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, USA, 12 SEPTEMBER 2003 — Among the world’s passenger airlines, Qantas Airways Ltd., Virgin Atlantic Airways, and SriLankan Airlines offer the “Best Overall” Inflight Entertainment (within their respective fleet-size classes), as determined by a 22-member international media panel that evaluated inflight audio, video and print entries from 43 leading passenger airlines worldwide.
Sponsored by the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA), the "Avion Awards," now in its 15th year, honors excellence in several categories of airline inflight entertainment, covering audio, video, and print media, and “Best Overall.” The top finishers in 2003 are:
“Best Overall” Inflight Entertainment
Fleet-size: 51 or more aircraft
Winner: Qantas Airways Ltd.
1st Runner-Up: United Airlines
2nd Runner-Up: Delta Air Lines
Fleet-size: 21 – 50 aircraft
Winner: Virgin Atlantic Airways
1st Runner-Up: Emirates
2nd Runner-Up: Lan Chile Airlines
Fleet-size: 20 or less aircraft
Winner: SriLankan Airlines
1st Runner-Up: Hawaiian Airlines
Best Inflight Magazine: Delta Air Lines
Best Inflight Entertainment Guide (Within the Magazine): Air Canada
Best Inflight Entertainment Guide (Separate from the Magazine): Virgin Atlantic Airways
Best Single Inflight Audio Program: Virgin Atlantic Airways
Best Inflight Audio Entertainment: Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.
Best Single Special Purpose Video: Virgin Atlantic Airways
Best Video “Magazine” Style Program: Air France
Best Inflight Video Programming – Short Haul: Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.
Best Inflight Video Programming – Long Haul: Virgin Atlantic Airways
The inflight entertainment offerings were judged for "originality," "suitability," "production value," "content," and "balance." The judges evaluated nearly 200 samples of inflight audio, video and print that appeared in commercial service during the period from 1 June 2002 to 31 May 2003, representing 42 passenger airlines worldwide. The “Best Overall” ranking is determined by a composite score each qualifying airline receives based on that airline’s individual scores in selected print, audio, and video categories.
The 23-member international judging panel included: Greg Allen, Art Director/Photo Editor, CREEM Magazine (Los Angeles); Tom Gomes, President, Sucesso CD/Show Business Guia Int’l Magazine (Sao Paulo, Brazil); Larry Summerville, Chief Executive, More FM Radio (Auckland, New Zealand); Ray Bennett, European Bureau Chief, The Hollywood Reporter (London); Titus Chipangura, Director, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe); Ron Simon, TV Curator, Museum of TV and Radio (New York); and Jordi Rueda, Director, CLAVE Professional Magazine (Barcelona, Spain).
The winners were announced Friday night, 12 September 2003 at the WAEA 24th Annual Conference & Exhibition, held this year in Seattle, Washington, USA. The black-tie ceremony capped the week-long, international "market place" for passenger airlines and their inflight entertainment and communications suppliers.
Founded in 1979 as a nonprofit organization, the WAEA is the official worldwide network representing over 75 airlines and over 200 airline suppliers committed to excellence in inflight entertainment and communications and the continual improvement of the airline passenger environment.
For more information on the Avion Awards, the WAEA, and the inflight entertainment industry, visit the WAEA website at www.waea.org.
