CHICAGO, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- OAG (www.oagcorporate.com) is proud to announce the winners of the 2009 OAG Airline Industry Awards. Known as the "Oscars of the Airline Industry," 2009 marks the 27th anniversary of the awards, which are significant and valued in the airline industry because the awards are voted for by frequent flyers around the globe. The OAG Airline Industry Awards demonstrate OAG's commitment to the airline industry by recognizing excellence in air travel.

Winners of the 2009 OAG Airline Industry Awards include: -- Airline of the Year: Singapore Airlines -- Best Transatlantic Airline: Virgin Atlantic -- Best Business Class: Continental Airlines -- Best Airline based in North America: Continental -- Best Airline Based in the Middle East/Indian Sub-Continent: Emirates -- Best Low-Cost Airline: Southwest -- Best Airline Based in Central South America & Caribbean: LAN -- Best Airline based in Africa: South African Airlines -- Best Airline Based in Central/Eastern Europe: CSA Czech Airlines

-- Best Airline Based in Australia/Pacific: Qantas

For a full list of all winners, please visit http://www.oagairlineawards.com/Winners.

"We are proud to distribute the 2009 OAG Airline Industry Awards to airlines and airports who work hard every day to give travelers the best flying experience possible," said Peter von Moltke, CEO of UBM Aviation.

Winners are chosen by asking frequent flyers to consider which airlines they have flown in the past 12 months in each of the award categories and rank their top three airlines for each category. All votes were cast online. The results were calculated using a ratio of "mentions to best," taking into account how many times an airline was voted 1st, 2nd or 3rd by each traveler. All votes were analyzed by OAG to ensure that they were placed in the correct category and to guarantee that all airlines and airports, irrespective of size, competed on a level playing field.

About OAG

OAG, based in London, Chicago and Singapore, collects and distributes the most accurate and complete global aviation intelligence. For more information, please visit www.oagcorporate.com.

Source: OAG Aviation

CONTACT: Pamela Johnston, President, PJ Inc. Public Relations for Pamela@pjinc.net +1-212-629-8445

Web Site: http://www.oagcorporate.com/