Our regular feature, brought to you in association with Duty Free Global from Ireland, celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
UAE. Our images today come via LinkedIn from MMI & Emirates Leisure Retail Group CEO Tyrone Reid, who paid a surprise visit to Costa Coffee Metropolitan Store Manager Anne Blessing Wambui at Dubai International Airport (DXB) Terminal 3.
Anne, who has clocked up service spanning a remarkable five decades in airport food & beverage, was recently named Star Individual Middle East & Africa – Front of House at The Moodie Davitt Report 2026 FAB Superstars Awards (see the full winners list here). Reid, a perennial champion of frontline travel retail heroes, called in to offer his personal congratulations.
Presenting the award in Bengaluru earlier this month, The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie highlighted the extraordinary consistency behind Anne’s success.
He cited “so many measurable demonstrations of excellence”, including “an unblemished record of integrity with no cash discrepancies across five decades in a high-volume, customer-facing role; near-perfect attendance and early arrival for every shift, including those starting before dawn, ensuring operational continuity”.
Moodie also noted the judges praised Anne’s “generous mentoring and knowledge-sharing that has accelerated onboarding and reduced training time for countless new colleagues; and a consistent warmth and positivity that has strengthened team cohesion, customer loyalty and satisfaction scores while navigating profound industry and operational changes”.
In his LinkedIn post, Reid praised Anne’s own remarkable career progression from Barista to Store Manager, describing her journey as “a fantastic example of what passion, resilience and outstanding leadership can achieve”.
He added: “Her commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences and developing her team has made a real impact. A truly well-deserved recognition. Congratulations, Anne, we’re all incredibly proud of you.”
Tributes
The post quickly attracted warm tributes from colleagues and industry professionals, underlining the respect Anne has earned across Dubai’s airport hospitality community.
Craig Duncan, who worked for Emirates Leisure Retail between 2022 and 2024 in an assignment as part of his work as a Independent Commercial Consultant, recalled: “Anne is a star! She was always engaging and made me laugh every time I got a coffee from her while working in T3 at Dubai Airport.
“Anne was the same with all other customers. It is very well-deserved recognition.”
BTA Food & Services Operations Coordinator Tuğcan Dağcı highlighted the wider significance of recognising frontline talent, commenting: “People are every brand’s greatest asset. When dedication and excellence are recognised, they inspire everyone around them.
“Congratulations Anne on this well-deserved recognition.”
Costa Coffee Global Expansion & Operations Manager Mike Stankiewicz added: “Congratulations, Anne. What a wonderful recognition of your fantastic work. We’re all so proud of you.”
The outpouring of praise offers a reminder of the calibre of frontline professionals celebrated through the FAB Superstars Awards programme. Anne’s story illustrates how exceptional customer service, leadership, integrity and commitment to developing others can inspire colleagues, delight customers and earn industry-wide recognition. ✈
