Airline fastjet was recognised today as Africa’s Best Low-Cost Airline at the World Airline Awards, presented by Skytrax, at the Paris Air Show in France. This is the airline’s first World Airline Award and its second accolade in two years after winning the World Travel Awards Best African Low-Cost Airline in 2015.
The award is based on votes from customers making use of an airline’s services and counts as chief executive Nico Bezuidenhout’s fourth World Airline Award for an airline under his leadership.
“The award is a welcome accolade and suggests that fastjet is on the right trajectory,” says Bezuidenhout who states that while 2017 has been a challenging year, the airline is righting itself and a solid foundation for measured growth has been established.
“This recognition as the Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa comes as the stabilisation plan concludes and our focus broadens beyond commercial stability to positive movement in terms of network, distribution and fleet.”
He adds that fastjet’s plans to assume the role of Africa’s first pan-continental low-cost airline are well underway.
fastjet’s leading on-time performance and its continued focus on making access to air travel simpler and more affordable has stood the business in good stead.
“We offer a solid product that offers exacting standards across all the check-boxes,” says Bezuidenhout. “Above all else I would like to acknowledge our people, the fastjet team, whose efforts have embraced our culture and mantra and have expressed it through creating a positive customer experience. The award belongs to everyone at fastjet whose hard work has made it possible.”
Commenting on the award, Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax said: "fastjet continues to develop quality standards in the African low-cost market, and its product and service offering has proved very popular with passengers in the 2017 awards. It is a fabulous achievement to win this award for the first time and should serve as encouragement to the airline staff and management for future development."