National airline voted Africa's best

The awards were handed out on 16 June, on the sidelines of the International Paris Air Show, held in the French capital from June 15 to 21.

Best at customer satisfaction

South African Airways (SAA) acting chief executive, Nico Bezuidenhout, this year received the awards on behalf of the group.

SAA was named Best Airline in Africa for the 13th consecutive year. Feedback from SAA's customers also ensured that the airline walked away with the award for Best Airline Staff in Africa for the fourth time.

The awards for Best Airline Staff are special and coveted accolades, as they represent the combined quality performance of an airline's front-line staff, across the on-board cabin staff category together with the airline's airport staff.

Mango, SAA's low-cost carrier, received the award for Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa.

"Receiving three customer satisfaction awards on behalf of the group, in front of an audience of peers in the aviation industry at an auspicious event such as the Paris air show, was a most satisfying experience," said Bezuidenhout.

"These awards are dedicated to the people working at SAA and Mango who with hard work and perseverance have shown detractors that the SAA Group is going from strength to strength. Excellent customer service is one of the five strategic objectives of the group's long-term turnaround strategy; these awards confirm our efforts are paying off."

Skytrax awards an institution in global aviation industry

The Skytrax awards, established by an independent aviation research organisation, have become an institution in the global aviation industry. This year, the awards were presented at the 51th International Paris Air Show, the world's leading aviation and space industry event.

The awards are based directly on annual customer satisfaction surveys conducted by Skytrax, making them the benchmarks of airline excellence.

The Paris air show follows the annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association, held earlier this month in Miami, in the US, where the world's top airlines gathered.

At that meeting, Bezuidenhout confirmed to member airlines that SAA was making good progress in its targeted turnaround and was reducing costs.

Other awards received SAA has received this year:

February: SAA strengthened its global position by being awarded a 4-Star rating for the 13th consecutive year;

March: SAA Cargo won the African Cargo Airline of the Year Award at the STAT Times International Award for Excellence in Air Cargo; and,

May: SAA was voted the coolest domestic airline in the Sunday Times Generation Next Survey Awards - the seventh year in which SAA was voted as one of the coolest brands in South Africa.

SAA