On December 1, 2009, the award ceremony for China's first "Skytrax Four-Star Airline" was held at the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing, and attracted a great deal of attention from the aviation industry and media in China and abroad. Skytrax President Mr. Edward Plaisted presented the Skytrax four-star airline cup and certificate to Hainan Airlines CEO Mr. Wang Yingming. As China's first Skytrax four-star airline company, Hainan Airlines (HNA) has obtained the highest Skytrax star rating in China, which reflects the increase in Chinese soft power of air services and is a milestone for the improvement of Chinese civil aviation's management and service and China's growth into a civil aviation power. It also indicates that China's national enterprises have fully complied with international standards and taken another solid step toward the goal of creating world-class brands and helping the country to enhance its soft power.

Belgian Ambassador to China Mr. Patrick Nijs, the Sudanese deputy ambassador to China Abdelmoniem O. Elbeiti and other embassy officials attended the award presentation ceremony, offering their congratulations to China's first Skytrax four-star airline. As loyal frequent passengers of Hainan Airlines, China's national table tennis team deputy leader Qiu Wenli and Olympic champion Ma Lin also attended the award ceremony and presented Skytrax President Edward Plaisted and HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng with table tennis rackets carrying the signatures of the world champions and Olympic champions from China's national table tennis team and offered congratulations to Hainan Airlines.

HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. HNA Group director Chen Wenli, Hainan Airlines chairman Li Xiaoming and Hainan Airlines CEO Wang Yingming also attended the ceremony.

Skytrax President Edward Plaisted: Hainan Airlines Deserves The Four-Star Rating

At the award ceremony, Skytrax President Mr. Edward Plaisted delivered a speech in which he pointed out that 10 years ago, Skytrax introduced the star rating system into the civil aviation industry to offer star ratings to airlines around the world. At present, the Skytrax star rating has become an internationally recognized symbol of high-quality airline products and services. The Skytrax ratings are based on front-line products and services that airline companies offer to passengers in their operations. They not only are based on the assessment of an airline company's service quality but also directly reflect the passengers' feelings about its air services, such as ground check-in counters, cabin seats, cabin entertainment and catering and baggage handling. Passengers' whole travel experiences play an important role in the Skytrax star ratings.

Hainan Airlines is a young and dynamic airline and offers services to passengers throughout the world with China's extraordinary culture and the Chinese people's unique passion. Hainan Airlines features personalized and gracious service and has a superb reputation. In a recent Skytrax audit, Hainan Airlines quickly and successfully completed upgrading its service quality. So Hainan Airlines sincerely deserves the honor as a Skytrax four-star airline and isn't far away from its goal of becoming a Skytrax five-star airline.

HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng: Determined to Turn China into A Civil Aviation Power

HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng delivered speech at the certificate-awarding ceremony. He said Hainan Airlines with a strong sense of historical mission has bravely assumed the great responsibilities of raising the enterprise's management and service levels and helping the country enhance its soft power. He said that becoming China's first Skytrax four-star airline is not only a milestone in the development history of Hainan Airlines but also another typical case where China's national enterprise enhances its soft power. It is the mark that China's national enterprises, represented by HNA Group, have taken another solid step toward the goal of creating world-class brands, and the world-class enterprises and have made their own contribution to helping the country to enhance its soft power. Since its foundation 16 years ago, Hainan Airlines has transformed from a pure air transport enterprise into a modern, integrated services group that has 3 major industrial chains, including air transport, modern logistics and modern financial services, and whose businesses cover food, housing, transportation, travel, shopping and entertainment industries. It has a total assets of nearly 130 billion yuan and more than 60,000 employees. Obtaining a Skytrax four-star rating is not only the glory of Hainan Airlines but also the pride of China's civil aviation industry. It is the result of the correct leadership of the Communist Party of China and Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the care and support of many passengers and the persistent pursuit and hard work of all the Chinese civil aviation people including the Hainan Airlines staff. Encouraged by this great honor, Hainan Airlines will work hard, develop scientifically, strive for excellent quality and first-class service standard, better exert the strategic role of the civil aviation industry in the national economy and social development and make new contributions to turning China from a big civil aviation country into a civil aviation power.

At a press briefing before the certificate-awarding ceremony, HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng introduced to the media its achievements and the Skytrax evaluation process. He said that since its foundation, Hainan Airlines, China's fourth largest airline company, has created a good reputation for its high-quality air and ground services in the civil aviation industry and for its passengers. Since 1998, it has obtained the "Customer Satisfaction Award" of the Chinese civil aviation industry 10 times in a row. Skytrax is currently the world's most credible and independent organization for the research and certification of the aviation and air transport. Its research and evaluation of airline products and services are very authoritative and instructional. Every airline company in the world feels proud of obtaining the Skytrax Best Airline Award and a Skytrax star rating. From 2008 onwards, Hainan Airlines has spearheaded in the introduction of the Skytrax audit in China. Through the help of the global professional aviation consultation and accreditation body, Hainan Airlines has established a long-term mechanism for the monitoring, evaluation and improvement of its aviation products and services. It has increased investment and training efforts in 55 areas, such as cabin offerings, Beijing T1 terminal ground services, cabin food and drink services and flight attendants' foreign language skills and communication skills, to improve the quality of its entire chain of products and services. Becoming mainland China's first Skytrax four-star airline marks that Hainan Airlines' service level has already gained the recognition of the international air transport research and certification authority and many passengers. Hainan Airlines will regard this as a new start, working hard together with the Chinese civil aviation industry's colleagues to raise the level of China's civil aviation services and to achieve the goal of turning China into a civil aviation power.

Olympic Table Tennis Champion Ma Lin: Everyone Should Win Glory for Our Country

When the 29th Olympic Games table tennis men's singles world champion Ma Lin appeared at the award ceremony, all the guests and media were stunned. Ma Lin and China's national table tennis team deputy leader Qiu Wenli together presented Skytrax President Edward Plaisted and HNA Group Chairman Chen Feng with table tennis rackets carrying the signatures of the world champions and Olympic champions from China's national table tennis team.

Ma said that coaches and athletes of the Chinese national table tennis team often take Hainan Airlines flights to fly around China and the world to participate in competitions and have always received warm, cordial, professional and convenient services from HNA staff. In recent years, Hainan Airlines has made great effort to upgrade its service quality and create a successful model in its quest for the Skytrax four-star rating in China's aviation industry

Ma said that China's table tennis athletes tenaciously struggle for gold medals in the competitions to win glory for China and its people. Hainan Airlines employees have quietly yet with great determination, contributed to turning Hainan Airlines into China's first Skytrax four-star airline. In doing so, they have also won glory for our country and people. He offered his wish that Hainan Airlines could soon realize its dream of becoming a world-class airline brand, as well as his hope that every Chinese person should win glory for the motherland with his or her own way.

Photograph: Skytrax President Mr. Edward Plaisted presented the Skytrax four-star airline certificate to Hainan Airlines CEO Mr. Wang Yingming.