ETIHAD Airways was named ‘Best International Airline – Offline' at the 2016 Travel Agents' Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) National Travel Industry Awards held in Auckland last Sept. 10. Voted for by the New Zealand travel industry, the award recognizes the airline's world-class product and service. Etihad Airways' General Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Sarah Built, who accepted the award on the airline's behalf, said: "I'd like to thank our travel industry partners throughout New Zealand for their vote of confidence and ongoing support. "I'd also like to thank the team at The Walshe Group, our General Sales Agent in New Zealand, for their tireless efforts in representing Etihad Airways in the market." Built acknowledged Etihad Airways' equity partner Virgin Australia and codeshare partner Air New Zealand for their contribution to the airline's success. "As an offline carrier in New Zealand, we rely on the support of our partner airlines to provide seamless trans-Tasman connections to our Australian gateways. The partnerships we have with these airlines are critical to our success in the New Zealand market." Etihad Airways codeshares with Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand from Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington to its four Australian gateways, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The annual TAANZ National Travel Industry Awards are in their third year in 2016. The ‘Best International Airline – Offline' award is Etihad Airways' first win in this category.
