MONTREAL, CANADA (BNO NEWS) – A worldwide survey of over 17 million air travelers ranked Air Canada as the “best airline in North America,” Air Canada said Thursday.

The announcement was made Thursday at the Skytrax World Airline Awards in Hamburg, Germany, as the survey is regarded in the air transportation industry as a primary benchmarking tool for passenger satisfaction levels of airlines throughout the world.

“It is an honor to once again be acknowledged by air travelers around the world as the best airline in North America,” said Calin Rovinescu, President and CEO of Air Canada, which is Canada’s largest domestic and international full-service airline.

“This most recent poll of 17 million airline passengers underscores our progress in providing our customers with a world class travel experience and an industry leading product. I am incredibly proud of our employees whose dedication and professionalism are recognized by this prestigious award. In effect passengers are recognizing the culture change underway at Air Canada and the excellent employee brand that has developed.”

The survey was conducted by independent research firm Skytrax between July 2009 and April 2010 using over 38 different aspects of passenger satisfaction to rank airlines’ product and service standards.

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