Lebanon national carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) presented its top UAE agents with special achievement awards at a dedicated event held on February 28 at the St. Regis Hotel Abu Dhabi.

These awards recognise the important role of travel agents in contributing to the airline’s success during the year 2016.

“The agents we work with are an essential part of our accomplishments in achieving growth in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Territory. Through the years, we have developed strong relationships with each of them,” said Ziad Najjar, MEA Abu Dhabi area manager.

“Our supporting travel agencies are the main reason to sustain our growth and it is important to commend their hard work for we rely on their continued commitment in 2017.”

As Safar Travel and Tourism, formerly known as Abdul Jalil Travel Agency, has been the general sales agent for MEA since 1966, and was Abu Dhabi Airport’s first Arab inauguration flight in 1968, Mohammed Abdul Jalil Al Fahim, chairman of Al Fahim Family Council, presented an appreciation trophy to Najjar for the long-standing business partnership.

At the ceremony, Awj Khalil, newly appointed senior operations manager of Safar, sad: “Trust and commitment have built a strong foundation for our 50-year partnership. Combined with our pioneering spirit and talented professionals in Al Fahim Group’s travel arm, Safar, we have been able to consistently deliver quality services to the influx of tourists traveling to Lebanon this past year and every year before that.”  

In spite of the unstable political situation in Lebanon, MEA has sustained a 5 per cent growth in sales in Abu Dhabi compared to 2015, achieving a profit year after year, as well as a traffic growth of 9 per cent. MEA has also expanded its network by officially joining SkyTeam Alliance in 2012, and in the same year it signed a contract to purchase 10 neo Airbus 320-321. Delivery of the plans are expected in 2018.

In 1945, MEA was established and launched its first service from Beirut to the neighboring cities of Syria, Cyprus, Egypt then Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other destinations in the Gulf. In 1963, after the merger with Air Liban, MEA added new European, Middle Eastern and West African destinations to its worldwide network, and commenced its service to Abu Dhabi in July 1968. - TradeArabia News Service