AirAsia Retains Skytrax “World’s Best Low-Cost Airline” Title

13th Jul 2016

For seven years running, Malaysian LCC AirAsia Bhd has been winning at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, leaving its low-cost competition behind. Nothing changed in 2016 as the Malaysian-based carrier once again walked from the Farnborough International Airshow in UK with both the “World’s Best Low-Cost Airline” and the “Asia’s Best Low-Cost Airline” for the year.

Present to receive the coveted award and take it home were AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Fernandes and AirAsia Bhd Chief Executive Officer Aireen Omar, as well as CEOs from AirAsia Group affiliates.

Speaking upon receiving the award, Fernandes thanked the airline’s employees for doing a great job and enabling AirAsia to retain the Skytrax “World’s Best Low-Cost Airline” award for the eight year in a row.

Fernandes said:

But we have a long way to go and we can be better… we want to improve our customer service, including improving how we communicate with our customers.

He also added that, moving forward, AirAsia will work hard to make flying with it a lot easier by introducing new technologies.

AirAsia representatives flew in to the “Oscars of the Aviation Industry” in a special Airbus A320 aircraft adorned in Skytrax livery to celebrate another win for the Malaysian airline.

MAHB and AirAsia to Meet Again to Discuss KLIA2

At the same time (Tuesday), at the same place (Farnborough Air Show), we heard from Badlisham Ghazali, Managing Director of Malaysian Airports Holdings Berhad that MAHB and AirAsia will be meeting again to discuss the promotion of KLIA2 as a low-cost travel hub.

The two parties held their first meeting a little before the Muslim holiday of Hari Raya, where they agreed to keep the name KLIA2.

Mr Ghazali commented at the sidelines of the airshow:

We have agreed that the terminal should be promoted as a low-cost travel hub. This is different from a low cost carrier terminal (LCCCT).

AirAsia X Chairman Rafidah Aziz said the intent was to create a low-cost hub out of KLIA2, making the name change irrelevant.

She also said:

We want LCCT-KL to be a dedicated hub for low-cost travel. Currently close to 98 per cent of operations at KLIA2 is by AirAsia X.