Bangkok--Nov 29--Thai Airways International
The World Airline Leadership Award is based upon a mixture of passenger research (this being conducted through Skytrax Business Research Group) and internal Skytrax Director evaluation.
Launched in 1991, the Business Research Group (BRG) comprises corporate travellers, undertaking air travel on a frequent basis. Approximately 53 per cent of Business Research Group members work with major international corporations, 41 per cent with SME's - a balance comprising a mixture of governmental staff, self-employed consultants etc. The travel frequency for BRG members comprises a minimum of 6 intercontinental long haul return trips in a 12 month period. The BRG membership exceeds 50,000, who originate from over 59 countries, and 78 nationalities are represented. Female travellers make up 13.4 per cent of BRG membership
Skytrax do not shortlist from a list of airlines per se - the World Airline Leadership Award is centred upon specific CEO/Presidents across a range of airlines, and the evaluation is based on the “personal” impact of the respective CEO/Presidents on change within their respective airlines.
The final selection of candidates for the Award is made after examining the results across more than 100 airlines (for 2005), and is then reduced down to an initial shortlist of 25, and then to a final shortlist of 6 individuals. The names of the other final shortlist candidates are not published.
The final selection of the Award candidates is decided internally by a special group of Skytrax Directors. One of the key factors within the final selection / Award centres upon identifying the CEO/President that has been the driver and achiever of substantive change within their airline, by direct, hands-on contact and involvement.
The criteria is wide ranging, and in the first instance based around substantiating the measurement of change achieved at the airline in question - changes affecting all aspects of the product and service being delivered to the airline’s customers. It is therefore a process of identifying the changes across the widest spectrum of airlines, and analysing this against the relative leadership, direction and personal involvement of the airline CEO/President in achieving that change.
The World Airline Leadership Award selection criteria involve a range of analysis factors. Heading up the list of criteria is the leadership-by-example tenet - this in turn results in further assessment of the persons relative involvement and pro-activity in the whole process of change.
Thus, aside from the pure man-management and commercial skills across the spectrum of CEO/Presidents under analysis, it is about assessing all aspects of motivation these persons have achieved across their different staff and management
The last Award was made in 2004, at which time the Airline Leadership Award candidate was Mr Rod Eddington, CEO of British Airways.
The World Airline Leadership Award is very much as the title says - the actual “ leadership”, direction motivation and achiever of change within the respective airline. It is an Award to recognise the personal contribution and effort of an airlines CEO/President.
Commenting on reasons behind Mr Kanok's nomination to receive the World Airline Leadership Award for 2005, Skytrax reported that ...
“we examine many different factors within the selection process, looking to identify the airline President or CEO who has achieved change and improvement through true hands-on leadership. THAI is undergoing a real metamorphosis in terms of quality change, and this is much more than just cosmetic improvement Whilst THAI is completing a corporate makeover and introducing new products across all cabins, this has to be allied to a new attitude amongst the whole THAI workforce - a fresh, invigorated and customer orientated style that THAI is famous for. It is quite clear that Mr Kanok is leading and encouraging these changes by personal example, and we are delighted to honour him with the 2005 World Airline Leadership Award”.
Skytrax are the leading research Advisors to the world airline and air transport industry. Established in 1989, Skytrax is a private company, based in London, UK. One of the founding Directors, Mr Edward Plaisted is now the CEO of Skytrax.
SKYTRAX Research
29 Harley Street
London W1G 9QR
United Kingdom
Tel (+44) 207 016 2197
Fax (+44) 870 051 2317
E-mail : [email protected]
http://www.airlinequality.com End.