Korean Air was today announced the recipient of the Air Transport World 2021 Airline of the Year Award.

Seoul-based Korean, a SkyTeam global alliance founding airline, was selected by an independent board of ATW and Aviation Week Network editors and analysts. In making their decision, they cited the company’s excellent leadership; its ability to post an operating profit through every quarter in 2020 and the industry’s worst-ever crisis; a strong commitment to health, safety, the environment and community support endeavors; customer service excellence that earned Korean Air a Skytrax 5 Star rating in 2020; and a strong relationship with employees that allowed the company to avoid any involuntary furloughs last year. Korean Air is also embarked on a transformational strategic deal to incorporate Asiana and create a larger, more global flagship carrier.

Korean Air chairman and CEO Walter Cho said, "We are so honored to receive ATW’s prestigious Airline of the Year award. This award is a tribute to our employees for their dedication, sacrifices and loyalty, especially during the tumultuous past year. I’m so grateful and proud of our team. We’ve come a long way and are committed to being a smart, resilient, and sustainable respected leader in the global aviation industry. We will continue to deliver excellence in flight as we connect the global community. We thank ATW for this award as well as for its continued industry leadership."

ATW editor-in-chief Karen Walker said, “Korean Air and its team of dedicated employees have truly demonstrated excellence across the board. We are delighted for them and offer sincere congratulations.”

The Award will be presented to Korean Air as the top honor among the 47th annual ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards at an in-person gala dinner Oct. 5 in Boston, Massachusetts.

The ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards recognize excellence across a broad range of airline operations and are widely considered as the most coveted in the air transport industry. Other ATW 2021 Airline Industry Achievement Award winners were announced earlier in June and include JetBlue Airways (Airline Market Leader), United Airlines (Eco Airline of the Year), Qatar Airways Cargo (Cargo Operator of the Year), Viva Aerobus (Value Airline of the Year) and Incheon International Airport (Airport of the Year). The Excellence in Leadership Award, to an individual who has made significant contributions to the industry, will go to Alexandre de Juniac, former CEO at Air France and Air France-KLM Group and recently retired IATA Director General and CEO.