It’s good news for South African travellers!
FlySafair was named Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa at the 2026 World Airline Awards this September at The Langham Hotel in London.
This is FlySafair’s fifth time winning the award, having previously won the Skytrax title in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025.
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A big win for a budget airline
The World Airline Awards – often referred to as the ‘Oscars of the aviation industry’ – have been organised by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax since 1999.
These are based on an independent customer satisfaction survey, with more than 24.8 million eligible entries collected from travellers across more than 100 countries, covering more than 300 airlines worldwide.
“This recognition from Skytrax belongs to every team member at FlySafair who shows up each day to get South Africans where they need to be, safely, on time and affordably,” says Kirby Gordon, CMO of FlySafair.
“Being named Africa’s Best Low-Cost Airline reflects that consistency, and it’s an honour we don’t take for granted. To our customers, thank you for continuing to choose us and for trusting us with your journeys.”
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On-time performance remains a focus
One of FlySafair’s key selling points is getting passengers to their destinations on time. The airline recorded an on-time performance (OTP) rating of 94.24% in August 2026, and says its OTP has remained above 90% throughout 2026.
“Being transparent about our OTP rating is incredibly important to what we do at FlySafair. It keeps us accountable to our customers and ensures we run an efficient and safe operation from take-off to landing,” says Gordon.
Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted adds, “We congratulate FlySafair on being named the Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa at the 2026 World Airline Awards. This is a fabulous recognition that serves to confirm FlySafair’s efforts to provide a reliable and customer-focused travel experience.”
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Another award in a busy year
The Skytrax win comes just weeks after FlySafair was named Africa’s Leading Low-Cost Airline at the 2026 World Travel Awards, held at the Africa Gala Ceremony in Zanzibar.
The airline also collected five awards at the 2025 SACAA Civil Aviation Industry Awards, including Best Airline by Public Vote.
This is great news for the low-cost carrier, but it’s even better news for those looking for reliable air travel!
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