AirAsia, AirAsia X win big at Skytrax awards

Tony Fernandes (fifth from left) celebrating after AirAsia won World's Best Low Cost Airline awards for the seventh consecutive year.

PARIS: AirAsia and AirAsia X grabbed the spotlight at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. 

AirAsia won the Asia’s and World's Best Low Cost Airline awards for the seventh consecutive year.

Its group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the airline faced many challenges during the past year but he was proud to receive the awards.

"I'm proud to say that our staff banded together for our guests and we have emerged stronger than ever. 

"To be named the ‘World’s Best’ for the seventh consecutive year is an incredible honour, and I dedicate it to the 17,000 AirAsia Allstars who are the force behind it all," he said at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget on Tuesday.

He also thanked his guests and stakeholders for continuing to believe in AirAsia.

"After the year we have had following the QZ8501 crash, this award is the most meaningful for me.

"We are committed to continue innovating on all fronts to provide our guests with not only the best value, but also a superior travel experience, and convenience, using technology,” added Fernandes.

AirAsia X meanwhile won the World's Best Low Cost Airline Premium Cabin and Best Low Cost Airline Premium Seat for the second consecutive year.
 
Its chairman Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and acting chief executive officer Benyamin Ismail received the prestigious awards.

The Skytrax World Airline Awards is the global benchmark of airline excellence and one of the most prestigious accolades for the airline industry. 

A total of 19 million customer surveys were completed worldwide by over 160 nationalities, measuring standards across 41 key performance indicators of an airline’s front-line products and services.