BANGKOK, March 4 — Thai AirAsia is among the top three "most on-time low cost carriers” in 2021, aviation and travel data analytics firm Cirium said in its annual review.

Thai AirAsia was the only Thai airline given that recognition.

The annual review said 97.47 per cent of its flights operated on time in 2019.

AirAsia Thailand chief executive officer Santisuk Klongchaiya said in a statement that the airline is extremely proud of this recognition that highlights staff and crew dedication and operational performance during these challenging times.

He added that AirAsia twice received a full 7/7 rating from airlineratings.com for service excellence, the latest being in February this year.

"These two consecutive recognitions are testament to the world-class quality and standards that everyone in the team takes pride in and will drive us to further improve our service, so that we may continue to deliver the impressive and cost-efficient experience that our customers have always trusted us for,” he said.

Solaseed Air, a Japanese domestic operator and an All Nippon Airways (ANA) affiliate, and StarFlyer, another Japanese domestic carrier and ANA affiliate were the other two winners.

Santisuk pointed out that in Cirium’s comprehensive evaluation, even amid obstacles brought about by the Covid-19 situation, which included a temporary suspension of flights in support of government policies and a scale-back of services, AirAsia continued to develop and maintain its high standards, especially in terms of safety, hygiene and on-time performance.

The Cirium 2021 On-Time Performance Review is based on accurate data analysis trusted by businesses and investors in both the aviation and airport sectors for enhancing on-time performance in the aviation and tourism industries. — Bernama