View the full 2009 World Airline Awards results
 

A strong performer in earlier Surveys, AirAsia celebrates in 2009 by taking the accolade as the World's Best Low-Cost Airline. AirAsia said the highly regarded award, dubbed as the "travellers' choice", has cemented its competency in providing excellent and value-for-money services through its incessant innovations and trend-setting measures.

"The award marks a major milestone for AirAsia, as the award is acknowledged the world over and the only award based on independent judgements of our very own guests," said Tony Fernandes, AirAsia's CEO.

"Being a low-cost airline should never have to mean delivering a low-quality service, and Air Asia is proof of the fact that low-cost airlines can provide a good standard of customer care and passenger service quality, that matches the ethos behind operating low-fare services - with standards of customer loyalty showing a winning formula" said Edward Plaisted (CEO of Skytrax).

The 2009 winner (easyJet) was pushed to 4th position behind the "Best in Europe" winner, Air Berlin, who ranked 2nd on a worldwide basis. "This is always a different category in Europe to determine, because Air Berlin is an airline we feel is best described as a 'budget' rather than pure 'low-cost' airline" said Plaisted. Whatever category terms are used, Air Berlin is clearly satisfying customers to have garnered this Best in Europe title for 2009.

Air Asia was also named as winner of the Best Low-Cost Airline Asia Award for 2009, ahead of JetStar Asia. "The title of Best Low-Cost Airline in Asia remains one of more competitively contested survey sections" said Edward Plaisted of Skytrax. "In the past few years, we have seen a yo-yo effect between Air Asia and JestStar Asia - and 2009 seems to be the time for Air Asia to celebrate this win!".

"We have recently seen Air Asia extend it's long haul operations (AirAsia X) to the UK, and it will interesting to see if they are able to not only sustain, but expand this long-haul low cost concept, without having to potentially transform their offerings on these routes to something more akin to full-service airlines" added Edward Plaisted. "Of course, one only needs to look at the moves by some supposed US full service airlines, charging for drinks, blankets, headsets etc, and there is in some areas little difference between their service format and the Air Asia long haul operations".