Alaska Airlines lands technology honor.

• Author: Pounds, Nancy
• Position: Inside Alaska Business

Alaska Airlines received the 2011 Airline Technology Leadership Award by Air Transport World magazine. Alaska Airlines received the honor once before in 2003, recognizing the company's flight safety innovations and airport operations, ticket distribution and marketing and customer technology.

The magazine officials recognized Alaska Airlines' commitment to operational efficiency and environmentally friendly technology. The airline pioneered the development and introduction of required navigation performance, which is being adopted worldwide and is a cornerstone of the Federal Aviation Administration's NextGen air traffic management system. Editors at the magazine also commended Alaska's patented Airport of the Future in Anchorage and Seattle, which eliminated the traditional ticket counter and...