Oman Air has secured first place in London Heathrow's 'Fly Quiet & Green' league table, with new aircraft and flying techniques propelling it to the top of the chart.
The airline has introduced B787 Dreamliner aircraft on its London operations and adopted 'Continuous Decent Approach' which helps reduce fuel burn and minimise noise from arriving aircraft.
British Airways' short-haul operations were second in the table, which covers the 50 busiest airlines at Heathrow, while SAS was third, LOT fourth and Air India was fifth.
Etihad Airways, United Airlines, Aer Lingus, Flybe and Finnair completed the top ten.
A year after increasing its environmental pricing incentives – which rewards airlines for operating quieter and 'greener' aircraft from the airport – Heathrow says more B787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350s are being flown from the airport than ever before, and now account for almost a tenth of planes at the hub.
"As we prepare to expand our airport, we're working with airlines to encourage fierce competition for the top spot of the 'Fly Quiet and Green' league table and it's brilliant to see more airlines vying for pole position," says Matt Gorman, Heathrow's Director of Sustainability.
Abdul Aziz Al Raisi, Oman Air CEO, adds: "We follow Heathrow's Quiet and Green league table very closely and it is indeed gratifying to see Oman Air rank first for the fourth quarter of 2018.