ANSETT AUSTRALIA RANKED WORLD'S BEST BUSINESS CLASS AIRLINE

Ansett Australia has the world's best Business Class according to the 2000 World Business Class Survey of international services conducted by UK-based Inflight Research Services (IRS).

Ansett Australia won Best Airline for the Pacific region as well as beating airlines throughout Asia, Europe the Americas, Middle East and Africa, to win the overall world's best category.

Ansett Australia has now topped the IRS Quality Awards four times in the nine years the survey has been conducted.

General Manager Ansett International, Garry Kingshott, said: "In 1999, 1997 and 1996 Ansett also won top business airline, and in 1997 it also received a quality award for the Best Pacific Region Airline."

"The 2000 awards sees Ansett continue its tradition of excellence and innovation, and confirms Ansett as the best airline option for business travellers when traveling to and from Australia," Mr Kingshott said.

"Ansett is particularly proud to win these Quality Awards for best international Business Class airline, particularly as we plan to expand our international network and are about to launch new international services connecting Hong Kong to Melbourne."

Ansett Australia's international service polled first position in terms of meal presentation, quality of entrees, quantity of meals and meal consistency, and ranked in the top five for inflight entertainment and friendliness, to top the survey.

The survey, which compares 66 major world airlines, was conducted by aviation research specialists, Inflight Research Services, and is acknowledged in the industry as one of the most accurate, independent, professional comparative studies of airline quality standards.

Ansett also ranked in the top five airlines for check-in service efficiency and quality, airline lounges service and for its distribution of newspapers and magazines inflight.

IRS Managing Director, Mr Edward Plaisted, said: "As official carrier to the 2000 Olympic Games, Ansett Australia should be proud of bringing home another "gold" for Australia.

"Ansett Australia has a truly world beating Business Class product and service standard.

"Ansett Australia is a clear global leader for Business Class catering, both in presentation format and final quality delivered to the customer. The quality of staff service delivery (airports and inflight) is another consistent factor for Ansett that resulted in the top ranking for this 2000 Survey."

Ansett's international Business Class service boasts inflight chefs, world class cuisine matched with internationally acclaimed Australian wines and the most spacious seating of all Asia Pacific airlines.

Additionally, Ansett was last month judged the second safest airline in the world, closely following its Star Alliance partner Air Canada, in an independent European survey of 477 airlines.

Ansett Australia has been serving Asia since 1993. The airline currently operates flights between Australia and four international destinations: Bali, Fiji, Hong Kong, and Osaka, including daily flights between Hong Kong and Sydney. Ansett Australia is wholly owned by Air New Zealand.