ERA Awards return bigger and better than ever before

12 October 2023: Last night, European Regions Airline Association (ERA) celebrated its members’ success as part of the ERA Awards, a formal event this year held in Innsbruck, Austria.

• Six awards were presented to five companies, with winners including: Air Nostrum, Air Urga, Loganair, SKY express and Widerøe.

For the past three years, the ERA Awards – held annually at the ERA General Assembly – were placed on hold due to the disruption caused by the COVID pandemic. However, ERA has been proud to this year reintroduce the highly regarded industry prizes.

As part of its return, ERA has established four airline awards, including the Sustainable Airline Award, Social Responsibility Award, Innovation Airline Award and Airline of the Year Award. Equally, two new awards were presented this year to mark exceptional circumstances for 2022, including a Special Award for Resilience and the Airline Excellence Award 2023

ERA Social Responsibility Airline Award 2023: Air Nostrum

Air Nostrum has fully embraced social responsibility across the board, both within its organisation and the wider world. In 2022, the airline carried out a variety of humanitarian missions, named ‘Flights of Hope’, supporting the transportation of Ukrainian refugees and delivery of four tonnes of aid supplies. The company has also established an employee Equality Commission, which meets regularly to address issues and actions ranging from supporting International Women’s Day to ensuring accessibility to employment for people with disabilities.

Carlos Bertomeu Martinez, CEO of Air Nostrum, said: “Good companies are made by good people. This is not the first time I have uttered this phrase and I hope it will not be the last. Today I repeat it again, full of pride because this distinction rewards the altruistic work of hundreds of colleagues and recognises the will to help the most disadvantaged, which has always been present in Air Nostrum's DNA. This award is special for Air Nostrum. That is why tonight I wanted to be accompanied by a representation of the volunteers who organised and led the ‘Flights of Hope’; those colleagues who collected more than four tonnes of humanitarian aid for Ukraine and brought dozens of refugees to Spain, working side by side with the NGO "Juntos por la Vida" (Together for Life). This award is theirs.”

Special Award for Outstanding Resilience 2023: Air Urga

Over the last few years all airlines have shown exceptional resilience in overcoming the particular challenges of the pandemic. However, one of ERA’s member airlines has had to contend with not just the extremes of the pandemic, but the fact that its home country was invaded and is still at war today. Notwithstanding enormous difficulties the carrier has not just survived, but has continued to operate, support its employees, its local people, the armed forces and importantly it is planning for the future. Despite all of this and a missile attack on its hanger, the airline’s management remains optimistic, which undoubtedly epitomises outstanding resilience.

Oleksandr Halinskyi, Director General, Air Urga said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled to accept the Special Award for Outstanding Resilience 2023 from ERA. This recognition is a testament to the unwavering spirt and dedication of the entire Air Urga team. Over the last few years, we have faced unprecedented challenges, but throughout it all, our commitment to not just surviving, but thriving, has been unwavering. Our vision for the future remains undiminished, and this award is a recognition of our determination in the face of adversity. We are grateful for this acknowledgement of our efforts, and we look forward to continuing to soar to new heights, serving as a symbol of strength and hope for Ukraine.”

ERA Airline of the Year Award 2023: Loganair

With an impressive overall performance during 2022, Loganair has overcome the challenges of the previous two years brought on by the pandemic. Simultaneously, it has delivered groundbreaking and meaningful environmental initiatives, such as its GreenSkies programme and participation in the UK’s Jet Zero Council; supported social and humanitarian causes, including the launch of its Flying for All diversity and inclusion programme; and set in place key strategic innovations designed to secure its future. The airline’s attention to detail, clear thinking and decisive actions have led to measurable positive outcomes.

Jonathan Hinkles, CEO, Loganair said: “We're incredibly proud to be named ERA Airline of the Year for 2023. Receiving this award is a very much appreciated acknowledgement of the hard work and dedication of the entire team at Loganair, all of whom have played a huge part in helping us achieve the results that we have. It’s especially significant given the challenges that the industry has faced in the wake of the pandemic. Building on what we’ve already accomplished in the past year, we're more passionate than ever about enhancing connectivity in the regional communities that we serve, continuing to develop the services that we offer, and putting sustainability at the forefront of our plans for the future.”

ERA Innovation Airline Award 2023 and Airline Excellence Award 2023: SKY express

Progressing in every aspect of technology and IT, innovation is at the heart of SKY express’ strategy to drive its business forward. This strategy is highlighted in a unique collaboration with Google and with the airline’s commitment to digital transformation, delivering an innovative digital marketing strategy, which drove brand awareness and nurtured brand loyalty both domestic and internationally. Additionally, through Travel Insights, the airline tailored its campaigns on popular destinations and at an operational level used aircraft data to support its green agenda and develop and measure KPIs.

As the fastest growing airline in 2022 amongst all airlines in the entire EUROCONTROL network, with the largest flight operations increase in Europe since COVID-19, SKY express has also been awarded the Airline Excellence Award 2023 from ERA’s Director General Montserrat Barriga.

Vasiliki Christidi, ERA Vice President & General Manager of IOGR GROUP (SKY express) said: “I am truly honoured to accept the Airline Excellence Award 2023 on behalf of SKY express, the Greek carrier with the largest flight operations increase for 2022 in Europe. This recognition reflects the dedication and hard work of every member of our organisation who consistently go above and beyond to deliver excellence to our passengers and stakeholders. In addition, this award serves as a powerful reminder that we are on the right path, and it motivates us to continue raising the bar and striving for even greater achievements. I want to express my deepest gratitude to our team for their relentless pursuit of excellence. Together, we will continue to set new benchmarks and ensure that excellence remains at the core of everything we undertake.”

Gerasimos Skaltsas, Chief Commercial Officer, SKY express said: “I am immensely proud to accept the Innovation Airline Award 2023, which recognises SKY express’ unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in our industry. Innovation is deeply engraved in our DNA and a cross-functional process that involves multiple aspects of our airline. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, who consistently drive innovation in our products and services. To all of us at SKY express innovation is not just a goal; it is a mindset, a way of doing business and a driving force in order to constantly redefine the travel experience of our passengers and ensure our rapid growth path.”

ERA Sustainable Airline Award 2023: Widerøe

With a clear and outstanding commitment to sustainability, Widerøe has made extensive and wide-ranging strategic commitments. From amending its timetable to provide savings in CO₂ emissions, to maximising the lifespan of aircraft by upgrading technology and recycling usable parts, Widerøe is bridging the gap in anticipation of a change in technology. This commitment has been further strengthened through its collaborative projects with Embraer, Rolls-Royce and Tecnam, and its investment in a subsidiary company Widerøe Zero to deliver a zero-emissions aircraft.

Silje Brandvoll, Director Communications and Public Relations, Widerøe, said: “We are honoured to receive this prestigious award. Widerøe provides essential public transportation for people across Norway, in particular along the coast and above the Arctic Circle, in addition to our regional service. We have faith that the manufacturers will provide us with a suitable fossil-free aircraft by 2030–2035, in time for the expiry date on our short-haul fleet. Meanwhile, we have taken and will take further actions in close partnership with DeHavilland Aircraft of Canada, to extend the lifespan of our short-haul fleet. In addition to multiple other measures to reduce our emissions. We are confident the life extension is the right way to go as the Norwegian short-haul network is the perfect location to start the green transition.”

Images of the awards presentation can be downloaded here.

For more information, please contact Susan Morton, Editor Corporate Communications, on +44 (0)1726 485585 or by email at susan.morton@eraa.org