SAA best airline in Africa

Johannesburg - South African Airways has been voted the best airline in Africa at the Paris Air Show.

The airline also won a second award for service excellence. The awards were made by Skytrax, a leading British consulting group.

It's the 9th time that SAA receives the award for best airline and the second time the airline won the service excellence award.

Dileseng Koetle, spokesperson for the SAA, says there's no doubt that the SAA is still a world class airline and that it is regarded as such by the international community.

"The title Best Airline Africa, is awarded to the airline rated the best in the region for all the different items of airline front-line product and service," Koetle said.
 
Siza Mzimela, the CEO of SAA, says the awards come at a time when the airline is in the process of refreshing its approach to customer service.

"As you know, service is a key differentiator in the mind of discerning customers. Each of us, as SAA employees, must take service extremely seriously to ensure that we maintain our status as a quality airline and soar to even greater heights where our customers are concerned."
 
The Skytrax awards are based on customer responses to an on-line survey, which is ran over a 10-month period . This year, 18, 8-million airline customers from over 100 different nationalities participated in the survey. The survey includes over 200 airlines and measured standards across more than 38 different items.
 
Mzimela thanked the passengers and employees of SAA for their part in the airlines success.
 
The world's top overall airline award according to Skytrax was awarded to the middle eastern carrier Qatar airways. The rest of the top ten is:
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Asiana Airlines
4. Cathay Pacific
5. Thai Airways
6. Etihad Airways
7. Air New Zealand
8. Qantas Airways
9. Turkish Airlines
10. Emirates