Qatar Duty Free wins the DFNI-Frontier ‘EMEA Airport Retail Operation of the Year’ award
Award recognises best airport retail operation serving more than 30 million passengers annually
DOHA, Qatar, 2019-Apr-11 — /Travel PR News/ — Qatar Duty Free (QDF) has won the DFNI-Frontier ‘EMEA Airport Retail Operation of the Year’ award for its exceptional retail offering and customer service. The award was presented at a ceremony and charity ball that took place on 5 April 2019 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, and was received by Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations, Mr. Thabet Musleh. Winners were selected by a panel of high-profile experts in retail from across the duty free industry.
The ‘EMEA Airport Retail Operation of the Year’ award recognises QDF’s outstanding commercial performance and excellent customer service to more than 30 million passengers annually. The travel retailer was also commended for its commitment to its employees through the QDF Learning Academy, which offers all employees training through its career development program.
Qatar Duty Free Senior Vice President, Mr. Bruce Bowman, said: “At Qatar Duty Free, we strive to provide new, exciting and memorable experiences for our customers, and we are delighted that this has been acknowledged by the duty free industry. Being named ‘EMEA Airport Retail Operation of the Year’ is a significant achievement, and is recognition of our efforts to enhance our customers’ shopping experience. We will continue to innovate to ensure that our passengers enjoy a five-star travel shopping journey, both in flight and at Hamad International Airport.”
QDF collaborates with Qatar Airways, Hamad International Airport and leading global brands to deliver innovative retail concepts, such as the Qatar Airways Travel Boutique and the world-exclusive Dior La Parfums Podium. In addition, QDF recently opened two souqs in celebration of Qatar National Day selling traditional Arabian products made in Qatar. Earlier this month, Al Jazeera Perfumes, the well-known Qatari fragrance brand, opened its first airport boutique at HIA.
QDF boasts more than 90 affordable and luxury stores as well as more than 30 restaurants and cafés covering an area of 40,000 square metres at HIA and providing travellers with a world-class shopping experience under one roof. Luxury brands available at the five-star airport include Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Bulgari, Hermès, Hugo Boss, Moncler, Rolex and Harrods.
QDF was named ‘Airport Retailer of the Year’ at the 2018 DFNI Global Awards. In April, the leading airport retailer was recognised at the PAX International Readership Awards, when Qatar Airways won the ‘Best In-Flight Duty Free Program’ award for the Middle East for the third time in four years and was acknowledged as an industry leader for its outstanding in-flight duty free service, which is operated by Qatar Duty Free.
HIA, the home of QDF, has been ranked as the Fourth Best Airport in the World at the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2019, which took place during the Passenger Terminal Expo 2019 in London, United Kingdom. HIA has also once again been ranked as a five-star Airport and was honoured with the title of SKYTRAX ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the fifth year in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fourth year in a row.
Notes to Editors:
About Qatar Airways:
Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is celebrating more than 20 years of Going Places Together with travellers across its more than 160 business and leisure destinations on board a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft. The world’s fastest-growing airline will add a number of exciting new destinations to its growing network this year, including Lisbon, Portugal; Malta; Rabat, Morocco; Langkawi, Malaysia; Davao, Philippines; Izmir, Turkey; and Mogadishu, Somalia.
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge’ and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. Qatar Airways has been awarded the coveted “Skytrax Airline of the Year” title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, four times.
Qsuite, a patented Qatar Airways product, features the industry’s first-ever double bed in Business Class, as well as privacy panels that stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room, a first of its kind in the industry.
Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 150 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.
Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, B777, A350, A380, A319 and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline’s on-board Wi-Fi and GSM service.
Qatar Airways proudly supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching the global community that it serves. Qatar Airways, the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA 2022 World Cup, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline’s own brand message – Going Places Together.
Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the world’s leading international air cargo carriers, serves more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 160 key business and leisure destinations globally on more than 250 aircraft. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes two Boeing 747-8 freighters, 15 Boeing 777 freighters and eight Airbus A330 freighters.
For further information, please contact:
Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 4022 2200
Email: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
Source: Qatar Airways
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