Saudia Celebrates ‘World’s Most Improved Airline’ And Best Economy Class Catering Wins At 2024 Skytrax Awards

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Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has been awarded ‘The World’s Most Improved Airline’ and secured the top spot for Best Economy Class Airline Catering at the 2024 Skytrax World Airline Awards.

The prestigious event, organized by Skytrax, an eminent international air transport rating organization, is highly respected in the aviation industry. The World Airline Awards are based on an extensive global customer satisfaction survey conducted over several months, covering more than 375 airlines worldwide.

Saudia’s remarkable ascent in recent years has been noteworthy, with this marking its third time being named ‘The World’s Most Improved Airline.’ The airline’s global ranking has surged from the 82nd position in 2017 to 23rd in 2023, and further to the 20th position in 2024.

Central to this achievement is Saudia’s ‘SHINE’ transformation program, which focuses on elevating the guest experience, optimizing operational efficiency, and enhancing service and product offerings. This program has also driven Saudia’s digital transformation and adoption of cutting-edge technologies. These efforts have earned Saudia a place among the top 10 airlines globally for On-Time Performance (OTP) throughout 2023, maintaining this position for six consecutive months. In May 2024, Saudia was ranked among the top five for arrival On-Time Performance (OTP-A) and first globally for departure On-Time Performance (OTP-D).

Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, the Director General of Saudia Group, said: “These awards reaffirm Saudia’s dedication to excellence and our commitment to achieving the objectives of the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services. By adhering to the highest quality standards in the aviation industry, we are continuously prioritizing service innovation, by enhancing the guest experience, and optimizing operational efficiency.”

“This unwavering dedication to excellence has positioned Saudia as a leading global connector, bridging the world to the Kingdom to serve a wide range of sectors including business, tourism, entertainment, sports, Hajj, and Umrah.”

Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax said: “We congratulate Saudia on this fabulous achievement and this remarkable success. To be recognised for the change and quality improvement is testament to the hard work by the management and staff at Saudia and this recognition should be a source of pride.”

Saudia is charting a clear course for its future, aiming for top Skytrax rankings in the coming years. This is highlighted by the recent landmark deals with Boeing and Airbus to acquire 154 new aircraft. Saudia is also radically overhauling its cabin experience, upgrading both guest and business class seats, introducing high-speed in-flight internet, and enhancing onboard entertainment screens to the highest resolution in the industry.