SAA named best airline on the continent

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Pretoria - A global customer survey has named South African Airways (SAA) as the Best Airline in Africa.

“We are delighted that customers from across the world have for 11 years in a row, voted us the Best Airline in Africa. It is a remarkable achievement that resonates with our vision, which is to be ‘Africa’s leading world-class airline’,” Suretha Cruse, Customer Service Executive at SAA said.

The announcement was made during the Skytrax World Airline Awards ceremony hosted at the 50th International Paris Air Show on Tuesday. Skytrax is an independent aviation research organisation

The awards are regarded as the most prestigious accolades for the world airline industry and provide global benchmark of airline excellence.

SAA’s eleventh consecutive year of winning the Best Airline in Africa award makes it the most awarded airline on the continent.

Skytrax each year conducts a customer satisfaction survey among 18-million business and leisure air travellers from 160 countries to decide the award winners. The survey covers over 200 airlines, from the largest international airlines to smaller domestic carriers.

Over a 10-month period, air travellers complete an online survey questionnaire about their experience with airlines on the ground and on-board. The survey measures passenger satisfaction across 41 key performance indicators of airline front-line product and service including check-in, boarding, cabin cleanliness, food and beverages among others.

Since the start of 2013, the national carrier has won six accolades including the Skytrax Award for Best Airline in Africa awarded on Tuesday.

SAA serves 26 destinations across the continent, as well as major destinations within South Africa and internationally. - SAnews.gov.za