Air New Zealand has won Design Airline of the Year Oceania for 2022 in the Design Airline Awards by TheDesignAir.
Starlux Airlines of Taiwan was awarded the overall Design Airline of the Year while other winners included JetBlue, Condor, Finnair and Etihad.
TheDesignAir has been running since 2012 and its awards aim to recognise airlines that invest in design, product and brand, with winners decided by "a panel of industry experts, frequent fliers and team members".
Air NZ's Design Airline Awards win comes after it was named 2022's second best airline in the world by AirlineRatings.com, but slumped to 30th place in the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2022.
"Air NZ has earned a well-deserved award this year as Design Airline of the Year, Oceania 2022," said TheDesignAir on its website.
"With the announcement of a new cabin product in the coming years, a strong bold brand, its clever use of safety videos as a marketing device and brand partnerships with excellent design leaders, the carrier oozes design details across the passenger experience.
"We're thrilled to see the carrier continue to evolve its passenger experience, invest in new products, and continue to be the brand platform for Aotearoan design on the international stage."
In announcing the win to the media, Air NZ also highlighted its upcoming new cabin offerings, new food menus and the introduction of sustainable serviceware.
Etihad won the regional award for the Middle East, beating off stiff competition from the likes of Emirates and Qatar Airways.
Starlux, which only launched in 2020, won both Design Airline of the Year and Design Airline of the Year Asia.
"Starlux might be a relative newcomer to the Asian market, but it's already making waves. With a beautifully elevated customer experience, interiors programme and ground product, Starlux looks to create stiff competition in an already impressive market," said TheDesignAir.
"It’s no surprise that combined with its award-winning uniforms, stunning aircraft interiors, luxurious lounge offering and impressive existing fleet the carrier [has won].
"This might just be the beginning chapter for Starlux, but we look forward to seeing this carrier make waves for years to come."
The full list of 2022 TheDesignAir winners is as follows:
Design Airline Awards 2022
- Design Airline of the Year North America: JetBlue
- Design Airline of the Year South America: LATAM
- Design Airline of the Year Europe: Turkish Airlines
- Design Airline of the Year Middle East: Etihad Airways
- Design Airline of the Year Africa: Ethiopian Airlines
- Design Airline of the Year Oceania: Air New Zealand
- Design Airline of the Year Asia: Starlux
- Design Airline of the Year: Starlux
TheDesignAir Judge's Choice Awards 2022
- Design Innovation Award: Finnair Airlounge
- Best New Uniform: WestJet
- Best New Airport Lounge: LATAM Santiago Lounge
- Best New Livery: Condor
- Best New Business Class: Finnair
- Best New Premium Economy Class: Starlux
- Best New Premium Business/First Class: Starlux
- Most Improved Airline Brand: Condor
