Korean Air has been announced the winner of one of the most prestigious honors in the aviation industry: Air Transport World’s (ATW) 2022 Cargo Operator of the Year.

After being recognized as ATW’s 2021 Airline of the Year, Korean Air has once again proved its position as one of the world’s most successful airlines during the pandemic by receiving another ATW award for the second consecutive year.

Launched in 1974, ATW’s annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards are known as the most coveted honor an airline can receive, comparable to the Academy Awards of the airline industry. This year’s 48th awards ceremony has been held in Doha, Qatar on June 21.

When making its decision for the Cargo Operator of the Year, ATW’s global judging panel of editors and analysts cited, “the strong financial performance, its continued innovation and agility, its wider initiatives in humane disaster relief, and in animal/wildlife conservation.” The judges also noted that “the airline’s investment and application of technology & digitalization is particularly impressive and it sets the bar for the air cargo industry.”

“We are honored to be a winner of ATW’s renowned awards for the second consecutive year, especially in these difficult times'' said Eum, Jae Dong, Senior Vice President and Head of Cargo Business Division at Korean Air. “This achievement was made possible by the efforts of not only our cargo teams, but by the concerted efforts of our company in its entirety. Korean Air remains committed to deliver excellence in service to our customers as a global leading airline.”

ATW Editor-in-Chief Karen Walker said, “To see Korean Air named the 2022 Cargo Operator of the Year after winning the ATW 2021 Airline of the Year really speaks to the consistently outstanding, all-round performance of Korean Air. The industry’s huge pivot to air cargo and importance to the global economy made this a very competitive category this year and we sincerely congratulate the Korean Air leadership and entire Team,”

Korean Air Cargo, with its 50 years of history, is one of the world’s top five air freight operators, and is a seasoned expert in every sector of the business. During the course of the pandemic, it placed additional focus on transporting perishables and pharmaceutical products requiring a cold chain, and has committed to the urgent and timely transportation of vaccines, diagnostic kits and personal protection equipment.

Korean Air’s recognition may be attributed to the airline’s swift, reliable and customized services to its customers through efficient operations of its large freighters and continued technological investments. The airline has been at the forefront of addressing the global cargo capacity shortages. For example, Korean Air was a pioneer in converting passenger aircraft to freighters, and is currently operating an average of 1,000 cargo-only passenger flights per month. The airline has also expanded its network, including Columbus and Chicago, U.S. In other innovations, it has employed cutting-edge IT solutions to better serve its customers and help management make wise business choices.

Korean Air plans to strengthen its position as a global airfreight airline and continue to provide customers with high-quality air cargo services based on its core principles of speed, safety and accuracy.