FlySafair has once again been named the Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa at the 2026 World Airline Awards, hosted by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organisation, at a ceremony held at The Langham Hotel in London. This marks the airline’s fifth win in this category, cementing its position as the continent’s leading low-cost operator.
“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.”
Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, congratulated FlySafair on the win: “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.”
The World Airline Awards, introduced in 1999, are widely regarded as “the Oscars of the aviation industry” and are determined through the largest independent customer satisfaction survey in the airline industry. The 2025/2026 survey ran from September 2025 to August 2026, gathering more than 24.8 million eligible entries from customers across over 100 nationalities, with results spanning over 300 airlines worldwide.
Over the years, the airline has picked up awards in various categories, including its on-time performance (OTP), which is a point of pride for the airline and one that underpins its success. FlySafair’s OTP rating for August was 94.24% and has not dipped below 90% in 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,” adds Gordon.
FlySafair’s win builds on a strong track record of recognition from Skytrax, having previously claimed the Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa title in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025. The airline continues to receive strong passenger feedback for its onboard product and frontline service efficiency across its domestic and regional network.
Earlier this month, FlySafair was also named Africa’s Leading Low-Cost Airline at the 2026 World Travel Awards, held at the Africa Gala Ceremony in Zanzibar. Together with its five wins at the 2025 SACAA Civil Aviation Industry Awards, including Best Airline by Public Vote, this reflects a consistent year of industry recognition for FlySafair.
