Cathay Pacific Airways has been named Best First Class airline in the 2008 World Airline Awards™ run by Skytrax. The award acknowledges the airline's efforts to provide a superior travel experience for its premium travellers and highlights the positive customer reaction to the new First Class cabin designs introduced last year.

To underscore the strength of its First Class product, Cathay Pacific also took the Best First Class Catering award, while the overall quality of the airline's product and service was reflected in it being named runner-up in the Skytrax Airline of the Year award.

Cathay Pacific Chief Operating Officer John Slosar said: "We are excited about receiving the Best First Class honour, which highlights the strength of our new cabin design as well as the superior service provided by our cabin crew. For the premium market you have to provide something that really stands out from the crowd, and with our new First Class - designed with the right balance of personal attention, interaction and privacy - we believe we're providing a travel experience that exceeds all expectations.

"But while it's our First Class that's taken the award, we are very encouraged by the positive passenger reaction to all three classes of our new cabin designs which are being progressively rolled out across the fleet."

Uniquely, Cathay Pacific is introducing new cabin designs into all three classes of travel at the same time across its entire medium- and long-haul fleet. A total of 86 aircraft will have the new designs in place by the end of 2012 including newly delivered aircraft and retrofits.

The new First Class design takes travel to a new level by increasing individual privacy and giving passengers greater individual control over the immediate environment. The innovative seat can be used as an armchair, a chaise longue or an extra long and wide bed - one of the largest beds provided on any commercial airline.

Close attention has been paid to a range of other factors including subtle lighting to provide the right ambience and a bigger, highly adjustable 17-inch 16:9 personal television and noise-cancelling headset. All cabin baggage can be stowed in the suite itself. The food service, meanwhile, is tailored around the individual, with a wide selection of fresh western and Asian dishes - all served whenever the passenger wants.

Cathay Pacific's sister airline, Dragonair, was also honoured by Skytrax, being named Best Regional Carrier: Southeast Asia for the first time.

The World Airline Awards™ are based on the annual World Airline Survey run by Skytrax, carried out between August 2007 and June 2008. More than 15 million respondents from over 95 different passenger nationalities participated in the survey.

	Cathay Pacific's First Class passengers are guaranteed a good night's sleep on one of the largest beds in the sky.
	The new First Class suite is large enough for passengers to invite guests for meetings or dinner.
	Food service in First Class is tailored around the individual with a wide selection of fresh western and Asian dishes served whenever the passenger wants.