Several SA airlines received praise at the recent 2024 Skytrax World Airline Awards event. Two South African airlines topped the charts in categories specifically for the African continent.
SKYTRAX WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS
The Skytrax World Airline Awards began in 1999. It is based on customer satisfaction surveys in terms of which airlines they consider to be the best. Markedly, some people in the industry call the awards the ‘Oscars of the aviation industry’ or the ‘Passenger’s Choice Awards’, according to Business Tech.
The 2024 awards were based on an online customer survey conducted from September 2023 to May 2024 and announced at a gala event at Fairmont Windsor Park, near London Heathrow Airport. Over 325 guests attended the event from airlines around the world, with many uniformed airline staff displaying airline corporate brands.
The awards are completely independent and also impartial. The customer survey costs and awards event were paid by Skytrax.
LIFT AND SAA AWARDED
LIFT received the award for the Best Airline in Africa in 2024, with South African Airways (SAA) coming in third place.
At the same time, SAA received the award for the Cleanest Airline in Africa. This award is based on ratings of the standard and quality of cleanliness of various aspects e.g. seat areas, tables, carpets, cabin panels, and washrooms.
Following the award ceremony, LIFT CEO Jonathan Ayache said that they are ‘absolutely thrilled to receive [their] first-ever Skytrax Award’. This SA airline has only been operating for just under four years. He thanked the travellers who voted for the airline.
Additionally, LIFT was ranked among the top 10 in the World’s Most Improved Airlines 2024 category.
Global Brands Magazine (GBM) also awarded LIFT the Best New Airline Brand in South Africa award for 2023.
