AirAsia named World and Asia's best low cost airline by Skytrax

AirAsia has been named the "World's Best Low Cost Airline" and "Asia's Best Low Cost Airline" for the sixth consecutive year by the Skytrax World Airlines Award.

The airline received the awards at the Farnborough International Airshow, Tuesday.

AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said it was a great honour to be acknowledged as the world's best low cost airline for the sixth consecutive year.

"It all started with a dream 12 years ago. From two aging aircraft and six routes back in 2002, we have grown to operate a proud fleet of over 160 aircraft, flying to 95 destinations and having carried over 250 million guests," he said in a press release.

Fernandes said AirAsia was proud to announce a comeback in the low cost carrier market in Japan this year with new partners and investors.

"We shall re-emerge with a greater strategy and business plan in our quest to revolutionise Japan's low cost carrier segment," he added.

He said the airline was also ecstatic with the grand launch of AirAsia India, the latest affiliate committed to innovatively tap into India's underserved aviation market and becoming the obvious choice for low cost travel in the country via the lowest fares and unparalleled service and product options.

The Skytrax World Airline Awards is the global benchmark of airline excellence and one of the most prestigious accolades for the airline industry.

The annual global survey is conducted over a 10-month period covering over 245 airlines from the largest international airlines to smaller domestic carriers.

A total of 18.9 million customers participated in a survey measuring standards across 41 key performance indicators of an airline's front line product and services.