South African airline named as one of the best in the world

The South African air carrier FlySafair has been named one of the best airlines at the 2026 World Travel Awards.

The Awards, which were held in Zanzibar on 28 August 2026, recognised FlySafair as the leading low-cost airline on the African continent. This is the first time FlySafair has won this award.

This title is regarded as one of the travel and tourism industry’s highest distinctions, and was created to recognise excellence across all sectors of global travel and hospitality.

“This recognition is a reflection of everything our team puts into the job every single day,” said Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair.

“Africa’s Leading Low-Cost Airline is not a small claim. We compete against carriers from across a vast and diverse continent, and to come out on top in a category voted on by travel professionals and passengers means a great deal.”

“It tells us that what we’re doing is being noticed, and that the millions of South Africans who fly with us every year are advocating for us. That’s what we work for.”

The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 and are widely regarded as the travel industry’s equivalent of the Oscars.

It uses a nomination and voting system that takes place across hundreds of categories encompassing the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors at both a regional and international level.

FlySafair noted that this is the latest in a string of accolades for the airline. It was previously named the most on-time airline in the Middle East and Africa.

According to Cirium, an aviation authority on operational performance, FlySafair achieved a 91.06% on-time arrival rating across 62,805 flights tracked in 2025.

The local airline was also recognised as the best low-cost air carrier in Africa by Skytrax for a fourth time, and received five awards at the South African Civil Aviation Authority Industry Awards.

“Affordability, reliability and a genuine care for our customers – those are the three things we’ve built this airline on,” said Gordon. 

“We’re proud to be the airline that makes more of that possible for more South Africans. This award is for our team, and for every passenger who has chosen to fly with us.”

FlySafair running into issues with South Africa’s airports

While FlySafair has maintained a solid track record in South Africa over the last year, the airline has run into issues with the country’s airports.

In July 2026, the company announced that local air traffic control constraints were forcing it to rearrange its flight schedules to account for capacity restrictions.

It said that pressure on aircraft movements, particularly at OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng, has become a constraint on network planning even as Air Traffic and Navigation Services works to restore staffing levels and modernise systems.

Air traffic and runway management is now one of FlySafair’s biggest operating constraints. While the airline hasn’t had to cancel any route launches, it said the limitations have forced it to rework its schedules.

Following these statements, the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) responded, claiming that FlySafair’s remarks were misleading.

The ATNS told TopAuto that while it has experienced operational challenges, it is important to recognise the significant progress made to restore its flight procedure capability and navigation system resilience.

It said it has seen remarkable performance improvements since implementing its Flight Procedure Recovery Programme.

The ATNS highlighted that OR Tambo has a declared departure capacity of 30 aircraft per hour, and that it has consistently maintained between 26 and 32 per hour, translating to a rate of between 87% and 107% capacity.

“When these operational complexities are considered, ATNS consistently delivers in excess of 110% of the declared departure movement capacity during peak periods,” said the entity.

“Against this backdrop, any suggestion that ATNS is constraining Safair’s growth is factually incorrect.”