National carrier Gulf Air said its senior manager customer care and service quality control Kavita Al Jassim has been elected chairwoman of the Worldwide Airlines Customer Relations Association (WACRA) for the sixth consecutive year.

WACRA is a world-wide organisation of air transport professionals dedicated to promoting and encouraging a free exchange of ideas and methods to provide a consistently high level of customer service.

It has become the forum to share and benefit from each other's customer relations and service experiences and issues. It also co-operates with the Air Transport Association and the International Air Transport Association.

Al Jassim, who was the first woman and Bahraini ever to be appointed to the high-profile position, was formally reappointed at the annual WACRA conference held in Malaysia, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

She will chair the upcoming WACRA conference in Chicago from September 15 to 18.

"The key to Gulf Air's business in the broadest sense, critical to the success of any airline, are the core elements of product and customer service," the airline's acting chief commercial officer Ahmed Janahi said.

"Constantly evolving as passengers become more discerning and keeping ahead of developments in this area is vital.

"One of the ways this is achieved is through the annual WACRA conference.

"For Ms Al Jassim to be asked to chair this industry meeting of minds is a great achievement for her, honour for Gulf Air and a testament to the high regard of both within the industry," he added.

Al Jassim said it was a great honour for her to represent Bahrain and Gulf Air in the position of chairperson of WACRA. "This is a great opportunity for me to raise the profile of the kingdom and the national carrier, Gulf Air, at the international forum," she noted.

"Discussion at the conference, hosted by United Airlines, will provide a platform for the world's major carriers to discuss customer care strategies," she said.

"At Gulf Air our customer service strategy, developed from our many years of reputable customer care, differentiates Bahrain's national carrier from its competitors. In today's modern high-tech economy, we believe that a balance between traditional personalised customer service and the latest technological advancements is essential," Al  Jassim noted.

"We strive to offer our passengers "first contact resolutions" and seamless travel solutions," she added.-TradeArabia News Service