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| (Image Source: AirAsia) |
AirAsia has been recognized as the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2024, marking a historic 15th consecutive year win. This unparalleled achievement is driven by AirAsia’s relentless pursuit of innovation and value creation within the low-cost carrier segment. AirAsia began in 2001 when Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun bought an ailing airline with two aircrafts and 200 employees and turned it into the fourth largest in Asia with more than 200 aircraft and 21,000 employees across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia and more. Driven by the purpose of redefining air travel in Southeast Asia by providing affordability, inclusivity and accessibility, AirAsia is among the foremost in the region championing connectivity and the revitalisation of tourism across the region. Recently, AirAsia Group launched its fifth airline AirAsia Cambodia, an incredible feat that serves as a testament to its growth and resilience.
In accepting the award at a ceremony held last June 24, 2024 at the iconic Fairmont Windsor Park in London, England, Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes said, “Skytrax champions global standards for airline quality and excellence and we are thrilled to have risen to this benchmark for the 15th consecutive year. No other companies come to my mind in having achieved such a winning streak and we are very proud of it. Our guests mean the world to us and we are reinvigorated by the confidence they have shown by voting for us again. We look forward to continuing to serve many millions more this year alone with high quality at the best cost.” AirAsia’s commitment to enhancing the guest experience is underpinned by its world-class safety standards and ongoing operational improvements thanks to the robust ecosystem that has been built to support the airline business including engineering services, in-flight catering, cargo and logistics, ground operations and others. Leveraging its 23-year track record of disruptive multi-hub operations in Asia, AirAsia continues to deliver solid improvements in customer experience thanks to continual enhancements in the booking and journey touchpoints as well as innovative ancillary services. Additionally, the ongoing reactivation of its fleet and the delivery of new aircrafts in the coming months will enable AirAsia to explore new destinations, potentially expanding routes across Africa and Europe.
Further, Tony dedicated this award to AirAsia Allstars and its loyal guests, adding, “AirAsia is made up of thousands of dreamers, all working towards the single vision of ensuring that everybody can fly. Since our inception, AirAsia has strived to be ahead of the curve, taking the challenging path to redefine and democratise access to air travel, and it is inspiring to witness the growth of this industry over the years. Thanks to Skytrax, this fantastic accolade is a tribute to what makes us the world’s best – our 21,000 Allstars and our 800 million guests who continue to support us despite the many challenges we have faced over the last few years. We acknowledge the challenges as we continue to rebuild the airline from the worst crisis in aviation history but today we’ve emerged stronger. Travel is back, the sky’s the limit, and we are hard at work to be even bigger and better than ever. See you on board soon!” Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said, “We congratulate AirAsia on this outstanding recognition at the 2024 World Airline Awards. Being named both the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline and the Best Low-Cost Airline in Asia for a record fifteenth time is a true reflection of their dedication to providing quality, affordable travel options to customers throughout Asia. This is a most competitive and fast-growing market for low-cost airlines, further underlining AirAsia’s success.”
The Skytrax World Airline Awards, known as the Oscars of the aviation industry, is determined by millions of international travellers. As a global benchmark of airline quality and excellence, the final award results include more than 325 airlines with AirAsia emerging on top in its category. Over 100 customer nationalities participated in the 2023/2024 online survey with 21.42 million eligible entries counted in the results from September 2023 to May 2024, a period when AirAsia had steadily increased its network back to over 130 destinations. Voting for Skytrax’ World Airline Awards was based on various factors affecting the safety and comfort of a guest’s flight such as the hospitality and efficiency of the Cabin Crew, seat comfort and cabin cleanliness, F&B products, and the overall value for money. Staying committed to its promise of “Now Everyone Can Fly” was also the airline’s winning move since day one – never failing to provide affordable and safe flights, and fulfilling a first-time flyer’s dream of travel. AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla shared, “We owe it to the millions of guests who voted for us. For us in AirAsia, this unwavering recognition is a testament that for the past 15 years, we are on the right 'flight path' of satisfying our guests with the world’s best service we provide on top of the product innovations and exciting promos we offer which are suitable for their changing travel needs."
Winning the Skytrax award reassures AirAsia guests that they are choosing an airline with a proven track record of excellence in service and accessibility. Backed by AirAsia’s commitment to continuous improvement, guests can also be assured to benefit from advancements in customer experience such as the AirAsia MOVE App, Ask Bo, and AirAsia FACES. Guests are also assured to have easy access to various AirAsia destinations in the Philippines and other Asian countries through its flight network – the largest in the ASEAN region. Leveraging on its recent win, AirAsia Philippines is aiming at flying over a million guests this H2 2024 with increased flight frequencies to domestic destinations such as Bacolod (24x weekly), Cagayan De Oro (17x weekly), and Iloilo (36x weekly). International flights such as Bangkok also increased to 17x weekly while Seoul and Kuala Lumpur now fly daily. Other international destinations such as Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Hanoi (Vietnam), Maldives, and Almaty (Kazakhstan) can also be reached via AirAsia Fly Thru available at the AirAsia MOVE App and airasia.com.
