VANCOUVER, Canada - Winners of the 2010 World Routes Airport Marketing Awards were formally announced yesterday at the World Routes Gala Networking Evening at Rogers Arena (formerly known as General Motors Place), Vancouver, Canada. The awards included four regional categories: Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa.

Top honors went to Brussels Airport in the European region and was awarded to Edmonton International Airport in the Americas. The Asia region honored Auckland Airport, and Nairobi – Jomo Kenyatta International Airport collected the award in the African region.

“The World Routes Airport Marketing Awards are widely recognized as one of the industry’s most important honors. OAG is privileged to be involved in this ceremony and to pay tribute to the world’s best and most innovative airports, whose dedication to route development is exceptional, and ultimately benefits the entire aviation industry,” said Peter von Moltke, chief executive officer, UBM Aviation, parent company of OAG.

The World Routes Airport Marketing Awards are internationally accredited and widely accepted as one of the most sought after accolades in the industry. The prestige of this award is largely due to the fact that they are the only award based purely on rewarding excellence in route development and nominated only by airlines.

David Stroud, senior vice president of Routes Events and member of the awards judging panel, notes that: “What really sets these awards apart is how accurately they reflect the airlines’ views. Vitally, it is the airlines’ votes that create the shortlist from which the panel selects the winners, and the judging panel itself is made up of airline route development professionals. This aspect in particular is unique within the industry, and what makes the awards so highly regarded.”

In addition to the shortlisted airports voted by the airlines, the regional winners from the regional Routes events also gained an automatic place among the finalists. Judging then moved on to a panel of senior industry experts – formed for the first time this year – made up of current and former airline network planners who reviewed the shortlisted airports’ proposals in order to determine the winners. The panel consisted of the following airline experts:

- Bob Hill, Director Route Planning, American Airlines
- Buddy Anslinger, Formerly of Continental Airlines, Network Planner
- Germal Singh Khera, General Manager Government&Industry Relations, Malaysia Airlines
- Mike Malik, Chief Commercial Officer, UBM Aviation
- David Stroud, Senior Vice President, Routes Events
- Mike Berman, Vice President Commercial, RDG

Bob Hill commented, “I am very impressed with the dedication, application of new technology, creativity, determination, and confidence among the contestants.”

Additionally, British Airways was named the winner of The Orbis Social Responsibility Award for its partnership with Comic Relief, a UK-based charity. The two organizations have committed to raising £8 million (US$12.5 million) and pledge to make a difference to children across the world through a series of activities focused on addressing social, economic, and health issues and climate change.