KATHMANDU, MARCH 16
Buddha Air has secured the title of the best airline of the year award in the domestic category, while Qatar Airways has been crowned as the best international airline of the year in the country's first national airlines award event titled 'Best Airlines Awards Nepal 2022' with the support of Sasto Tickets as the title sponsor, Embassy of United Arab Emirates of Kathmandu, Hyatt Place, and Hard Rock Café Kathmandu, among others.
Similarly, Himalaya Airlines was selected as the best airline of the year in the low-cost-carrier category; Emirates Airways won the best airline award in the offline operations category; Nepal Airlines Corporation was listed as the best national airline, while NAC ground handling was awarded the best service provider for aviation; Qatar Airways bagged three other awards for having the best business class, best airlines rewards programme and for having the best airfare policy; Fly Dubai won the best economy class award; Air Arabia won the best cabin crew; Turkish Airlines won the best transit airport lounge; and Jazeera Airways won the award for having the best desk support.
Likewise, Birendra Bahadur Basnet, CEO of Buddha Air, was awarded as the best CEO of the year in the domestic category; Sarik Bogati won the best airlines manager of the year in the international airline category; while Society International was awarded for being the best general sales agent for foreign airlines.
A total of 29 airline service providers currently flying to various international destinations through Kathmandu and nine domestic airlines competed for 16 different categories in the event. The winners were announced amidst a special ceremony organised by the Global Accreditation Council on March 13, 2023, with the primary objective of promoting the Nepali tourism sector.
In her opening speech during the event, Rosmita Baral, CEO of Global Accreditation Council, expressed her belief that such an event will bring positive and new changes in the aviation sector of Nepal.
According to the organisers, the winners were selected based on the results obtained from the combination of collected data by the nomination board and the decision of the jury, including Shekhar Golchha, president of the Federation of Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Ambika Shrestha, honorary consul of Spain for Nepal; Shreejana Rana, president of Hotel Association Nepal; Praveen Bahadur Pandey, president of SKAL Club of Kathmandu; CN Pandey, former president of Nepal Association of Tours and Travels Agents; Bibhuti Chand Thakur, chairman of PATA-Nepal Chapter; Bed Upreti, CEO of Aviation Museum; Mahesh Swar, CEO of Kantipur Media Group; Anil Keshary Shah, chairperson of Lead Nepal Inc; Arun Chaudhary, chairman of CG Holdings; and Upendra Mahato, founder president of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA).
A version of this article appears in the print on March 17, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
