ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards 2025 reward excellence in Lisbon

Visit 51st ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards was held in Lisbon, bringing together air transport professionals and executives to celebrate the successes of the year 2025. The event highlighted operational innovation, environmental transition and the diversity of business models in commercial aviation.

Munich Airport voted Airport of the Year

The airport of Munich was named «Airport of the Year» by Airline Transport World (ATW). This award recognizes its exemplary cooperation with airlines, its sustained growth, innovation initiatives and commitment to sustainability. The jury particularly highlighted the strategic partnership with Lufthansa around Terminal 2, often cited as a benchmark for airport-airline co-management in Europe.

Among the initiatives highlighted are the opening of a dedicated electric bus depot, the deployment of solar charging stations for vehicles and tests of autonomous wheelchairs for passengers with reduced mobility. These actions make the Bavarian airport a true experimental laboratory for new operational solutions.

Jost Lammers, CEO of Munich Airport, expressed his pride: «The ‘Airport of the Year’ award is a great recognition of the commitment of our entire team. It confirms our commitment to driving innovation, supporting sustainable growth and offering, together with our partner airlines, a first-class travel experience.» This accolade comes on top of the Skytrax awards, where Munich has already been voted «Best Airport in Central Europe» and regularly features in the global Top 10.

All Nippon Airways, Airline of the Year

The Japanese company All Nippon Airways (ANA) was named «Airline of the Year» 2025. ATW awarded ANA for the solid financial results, This is the fourth time that ANA has won this prestigious award. This is the fourth time ANA has been awarded this prestigious title, after 2007, 2013 and 2018, a record in Asia.

ANA President and CEO Shinichi Inoue said, «Receiving the Airline of the Year title is proof that ANA's safety, hospitality, improved customer experience, international network expansion and the daily efforts of its employees have been recognized. The company remains committed to shaping the future of air travel by exceeding customer expectations.»

ANA continues to modernize its fleet, notably with the A380 on certain routes and the 787 on many long-haul routes. The company is also stepping up initiatives to reduce emissions, in particular through the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and optimizing its ground operations.

A prize list focused on sustainability and diversified models

The 2025 vintage of the ATW Awards highlights the attention paid to decarbonizing the sector. The title of 'Eco-Airline of the Year» was awarded to Cathay Pacific Airways for its investments in SAF, the modernization of its long-haul fleet and its carbon-neutral climate objectives.

In the low-cost segment, the «Value Airline of the Year» award goes to Scoot, Singapore Airlines' medium- and long-haul subsidiary, praised for the resilience of its model and its ability to offer competitive unit costs on a rapidly expanding Asia-Pacific network.

The freight sector is also represented with Cathay Cargo named «Cargo Operator of the Year» for the performance of its network, its digital investments and its role in making logistics chains more fluid. Qatar Airways Cargo receives the «Humanitarian Force for Good» award for its humanitarian aid operations in partnership with the NGO Airlink.

In terms of leadership, Nicholas E. Calio, President and CEO of’Airlines for America, receives a Lifetime Achievement Award. Martin Gauss, CEO of«airBaltic, was awarded the Joseph S. Murphy prize for its leadership in transforming the Latvian company. Last but not least, Sun Country is highlighted as «Airline Market Leader» for the development of its hybrid model.

Organized in conjunction with the CAPA Airline Leader Summit, the 2025 ceremony illustrates the convergence of strategic thinking and industry recognition, against a backdrop of post-pandemic recovery and increasing environmental constraints.