Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, was chosen as the best airline for promoting corporate social responsibility in the aviation industry.

The award was announced at the fifth annual Aviation Business Awards (ABA), in Dubai on November 14. The event was attended by nearly 250 senior aviation officials from across the world, a statement from the company said.

Gulf Air CEO Samer Majali, said: “The award has come at the right time when globally corporate social responsibility has become a top issue, particularly in the aviation industry as it has direct impact on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment.”

“At Gulf Air we have taken this as an important corporate mission and have done some tangible work across three key aspects of corporate social responsibility - technological, operational and social,” he said.

“We strongly believe that the airline, as a corporate entity, can play a positive role by operating in a socially responsible manner and thus help build a better future for our children, the society and the world,” Majali concluded.

Accepting the award at the ceremony in Dubai, Gulf Air’s Chief Operational Officer, Nasser Al Salmi, said: “Gulf Air has been proactively engaged in several CSR initiatives in the past few years that have shown positive results across the entire spectrum- from carbon emission control, fuel savings and efficiency, waste management, to working with and supporting communities in which we operate.”

This year’s annual Aviation Business Awards (ABA) included 15 categories in total, covering airline, airport, cargo sectors, CSR and technology, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service