AWARD-winning holiday airline MyTravel Airways, which operates flights for Panorama and Airtours Holidays in Ireland who are also part of the My Travel Group, has become the first charter airline in the world to be awarded an internationally recognised safety excellence accreditation.

The prestigious award from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) follows a nine-month project, undertaking rigorous assessment of MyTravel Airways safety systems and measuring against over 750 standards and recommended practices in aviation safety and operations.

Frank Pullman, MyTravel Airways' Managing Director, said: "This is a tremendous achievement and we are honoured to be the first charter airline to be IOSA registered and achieve this aviation best-practice benchmark which carries worldwide recognition.

"We're certain that our customers, such as Panorama and Airtours Holidays in Ireland, will be delighted to know that they can rest assured of our commitment to safety as they board their next MyTravel flight."

Speaking about the award, Niall McDonnell, Managing Director of Panorama and Airtours Holidays said: "We are delighted that MyTravel Airways, which is part of our parent group, has achieved this award." s are very safety conscious so we believe that this accolade is very important to our business".

MyTravel Airways operates a fleet of 24 ultra-modern Airbus and Boeing aircraft from the UK and Ireland, including Belfast International Airport, carrying millions of holidaymakers abroad each year to 60 destinations across the globe, ranging from Spain to China.

Constantly striving to deliver the best performance for its passengers, MyTravel Airways has previously won awards for its in-flight meals as well as for its on-time performance.

For many of its routes customers are offered a choice of extras for additional in-flight comfort such as Premiair Gold upgrades, extra legroom options and pre-bookable seating.