AIRASIA was voted the world’s best low-cost airline for the 10th year in a row in the Skytrax World Airline Awards.

“It’s unbelievable that we (have) won 10 times in a row.

“I’m thrilled for my colleagues who have done a great job,” said AirAsia Group CEO and co-founder Tony Fernandes at a press conference at Tune Hotel, klia2 tonight.

AirAsia Group executive chairman and co-founder Kamarudin Meranun accepted the award in London today.

Fernandes said one of the main challenges for AirAsia to stay on top of competition was to cope with the uncertainties in the global tourism industry.

“What do you do when a volcano erupts? Or when the president of Philippines announced it is closing one of its islands?

“We’re also a private airline competing against other airlines owned by the government,” said Fernandes.

Skytrax, a London-based research firm, started the annual airline customer satisfaction survey in 1999.

Some 20 million passengers from more than 100 countries took part in the latest survey conducted between August 2017 and May 2018.

They rated 335 airlines.

Singapore Airlines was voted the world’s best airline. It last won the award in 2008.

Qatar Airlines and Japan’s ANA came in second and third place.

AirAsia X also won the world’s best low cost airline premium cabin award for the sixth year in a row.

AirAsia X chairman Rafidah Aziz accepted the award in London. – July 17, 2018.