29 September 2017 10:29 am
SriLankan Airlines added another feather to its cap by being honoured with a prestigious’ Four Star’ rating from the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) in the first ever airline industry rating programme based solely on feedback from passengers.
Captain Suren Ratwatte, CEO of SriLankan Airlines, said: “We are delighted to receive this rating of excellence, which we consider extremely important since it was compiled using passenger feedback. We will continue our efforts to delight our customers and will aim to achieve Five Stars in the next edition of the rating.”
APEX is the world’s only non-profit membership trade association dedicated to improving the entire airline passenger experience
Siva Ramachandra, Chief Commercial Officer of SriLankan, said: “This rating is the culmination of continuous teamwork and innovation by every employee of our airline and demonstrates that SriLankan has the ability to compete with the finest airlines in the sky.” A total of 470 airlines worldwide were rated, with only 12 percent of airlines achieving five-star status and 14 percent reaching four-star status. Using a five-star scale, more than 500,000 flights were rated anonymously by passengers between 24th October 2016 and to 31st July 2017.
Passengers rated their overall flight experience and also provided ratings in seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment and Wi-Fi. SriLankan Airlines was placed in the Major Regional Airline category, with the other categories being Global Airlines and Low Cost Carriers.
The awards were presented at a gala ceremony in Long Beach, California on 25th September during APEX EXPO, a conference attended by more than 4,000 airline industry professionals which showcases airline related technologies, products and services.