Ethiopian Airlines leapfrog embattled SAA as the top-ranked airline in Africa

South African Airways continues to go down the pecking order as far as airline rankings are concerned and that is a massive blow for the national carrier.

As per the latest statistics, SAA has slid down the ranks of the world’s best airlines, dropping for the fourth consecutive year to its worst place on record. 

Meanwhile, Africa’s and SAA’s arch-rival Ethiopian Airlines continue to soar in Africa and abroad as media reports indicate.

As South Africa’s flag carrier, SAA has had a tumultuous past few years resulting from financial losses, which forced it into business rescue, to the pandemic that crippled the global aviation sector, SAA’s road to renewal has been fraught.

Although the embattled airline has re-emerged as a much leaner carrier, its future, seemingly dependent on a strategic equity partnership deal with the Takatso Consortium, remains bleak.

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In contrast, Ethiopian Airlines held onto its title of the “Best Airline in Africa” for a fifth consecutive year and the East African carrier was voted as the continent’s best business class and economy class airline for the fourth year in a row while also picking up the top spot for “Best Business Class Onboard Catering in Africa”.

This was all revealed at the 2022 World Airline Awards that were held in London on Friday, the latest survey results show SAA sliding to 79 on the list of top 100 airlines, dropping 12 places for the year.

“We are truly honoured by the multiple prestigious awards that Ethiopian won today,” said Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew in a statement.

“It gives me great pleasure to witness such a rewarding event to the hard work Ethiopian Airlines employees and management team put in order to provide our valued passengers the best quality service.”

Business Insider SA reports that SAA’s financial and operational challenges have been reflected in the airline’s slide down the Skytrax World’s Top 100 Airlines chart. 

Skytrax, which has been keeping tabs on international airlines since 1999, relied on more than 13 million eligible survey entries for its 2022 World Airline Awards. 

These airline passengers were asked to rank their satisfaction levels for aspects of the travel experience across both the airport and onboard environments.

On top of that, SAA’s decline in the global standings predates the Covid-19 pandemic. Looking at the previous years, SAA ranked 46 in 2019, and in 2018, 45, maintaining its position at roughly the halfway mark for consecutive years.

“Over the past decade of Skytrax awards, SAA’s position peaked at 21 in 2013. At the time, South Africa’s national carrier was rated better than British Airways, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and Air France,” said the website.

“SAA’s drop to 79 on the international rankings puts it at its worst spot since Skytrax started measuring airlines two decades ago.”

BusinessTech Africa has gathered that SAA held onto its top spot as the best airline in Africa for 14 consecutive years, up until 2017, when it was overtaken by the continent’s largest and most profitable carrier, Ethiopian.

Main Image: SAA/EWN