Cathay Pacific Airways has been presented the "Airline of the Year 2006" award from Air Transport World (ATW), a world famous magazine within air transportation industry, the airline said here Tuesday.

Accepting the award on Monday on behalf of Cathay Pacific, Chief Executive Philip Chen said the award "is a great honor for Cathay Pacific," attributing the recognition to "the guidance and leadership of the board, the excellence of all who work for the airline and the support of our partners and customers."

The U.S.-based ATW magazine said Cathay Pacific was presented the honor because it is "respected and admired among peers for its unwavering commitment to safety, technical excellence and customer service. Cathay Pacific has been among the elite of the world's airlines for several decades."

Established in 1946, Cathay Pacific is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, therefore being named "Airline of the Year 2006" is all the more special, Chen said.

He added, "This award gives us great encouragement and will spur us on to do better in the future."

(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2006)