NEWS GLOBE TRAVEL AWARDS 2016
Special awards: Industry honours the innovative and an unsung hero
Etihad’s James Harrison (right) receives the Innovation in Travel Award from Stuart Parish (left), Travel Weekly, and Paul Broughton, Travelport
Innovation in Travel Award: Etihad for The Residence
The Globe Award for Innovation in Travel went to Etihad Airways for creating The Residence – a first-class apartment in the sky.
Unveiled in 2014 and available on the upper deck of Etihad’s two daily Airbus A380 flights from Heathrow, The Residence brings “a new era of luxury” to flying, according to Etihad chief executive James Hogan. The panel of judges agreed
and were unanimous in choosing Etihad as the winner, citing The Residence as “bringing a five-star hotel to the sky and blurring the boundaries between commercial aviation and private air travel”. The judges commended the
airline for “standing out as an example of how a company can disrupt and refresh a marketplace with a product that is likely to have wide-ranging implications for its sector”. The Residence comprises a
lounge, private double bedroom and en suite shower for one or two passengers. It comes with a London Savoy-trained butler and inflight chef, and costs $20,000 each way on flights between Heathrow and Etihad’s base at Abu Dhabi.
“We spent a lot of time and money to produce something very different, and we’ve done it”
Receiving the award, Etihad
Airways UK general manager James Harrison said: “I’m shocked. We spent a lot of time, money and energy in producing something very different and we’ve done it. “We put a huge amount of effort
into building trade relations, so this award is fantastic.” He added: “The UK is a significant market for the airline.” The airline’s senior vice-
president of marketing, Shane O’Hare, said: “Etihad values its strong partnership with the UK market.” Etihad will commence
a third daily A380 service offering The Residence from Heathrow this year. The cabin is also available on flights to Sydney and New York and will be introduced on services to Mumbai and Melbourne this year.
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travelweekly.co.uk 21 January 2016
Penny Akam Unsung Hero Award: Nyki Dilworth
Nyki Dilworth doesn’t think of herself as a ‘hero’ – just as someone who gets on with her job and works hard. But the operations director of
Vertical Systems was described as “truly epitomising” the title of unsung hero, as well as being an inspiration to young people, at this year’s Globe Travel Awards. The winner of the 2016 Penny
Akam Unsung Hero Award said: “You just do your best, not for recognition. I just get on with my job. But when you get recognised like this, it’s
‘oh wow’. I feel very honoured.” Nyki started at Vertical
Systems 29 years ago as a YTS trainee, when there were just three staff at the company. She quickly rose through
the ranks; within two years she became field services engineer, repairing computers and electronic devices. By 1992, she was head of the engineering team, before being promoted to helpdesk manager, and finally operations director. But the work she does outside of her job, which includes advising the government on apprenticeship schemes and charity work, was singled out for special praise. The mum-of-two recently became one of seven experts on the Digital Industries Trailblazer Steering Group run by the Tech Cert Partnership to submit a framework for IT apprenticeships to the House of Commons for review. “I started as a YTS trainee, so I’ve wanted to help other kids,” she said. “I would never have got to where I am now without an apprenticeship. To see the way you change
a person’s life is amazing.” Nyki has also helped raise
Nyki Dilworth receives her award from Angela Day, Affordable Car Hire, and Lucy Huxley, Travel Weekly
funds for a terminally-ill young man. One event she helped to organise raised £7,000.
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