APEX Official Airline Ratings Names Aeroflot a Five Star Global Airline

MOSCOW, Sept. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aeroflot - Russian Airlines has been recognised as a 2018 Five Star Global Airline in APEX's Official Airline Ratings™. The honour was bestowed upon Aeroflot yesterday at the APEX EXPO Awards in Long Beach, California.

The Official Airline Ratings™ are the industry's first rating program based solely on verified passenger feedback. APEX (the Airline Passenger Experience Association) is a four-decade-old non-profit membership organisation comprised of the world's leading airlines, industry suppliers, major media groups and related aviation industry leaders that is dedicated to elevating the passenger experience.

Aeroflot was recognised during the APEX EXPO Awards Ceremony in Long Beach, hosted by The Points Guy, Brian Kelly.

To compile the Official Airline Ratings™, APEX sought an industry-neutral technology partner that would serve in collecting verified itineraries validated by geo-location and certified by external auditors. Leveraging the TripIt mobile app used by millions of air travellers worldwide, the Official Airline Ratings™ analysed passenger feedback on 470 airlines worldwide through 31 July 2017. Airline travellers were validated against confirmed itineraries and geo-location on mobile devices.

Only 12% of airlines worldwide received 2018 Five Star status.

Airlines were categorised as Global Airlines, Major Regional Airlines, Commuter Airlines and Low-Cost Carriers. Aeroflot was recognised in the Global Airlines category.

Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev said: "We are proud that the Aeroflot passenger experience has been awarded Five Star status by a leading organisation in the United States, the world's largest air travel market. APEX's rating is set to become a US seal of approval known worldwide. The rating is based on a global passenger satisfaction poll that surveyed millions of customers across every continent, leveraging the latest digital technology. This honour is welcome recognition of our efforts and accompanies a number of other awards that we have recently received recognising our leadership in the European market."

In 2016 Aeroflot was awarded 4-Star Airline status by British consultancy Skytrax, the world's leading authority on airline quality. Earlier this year TripAdvisor travellers voted Aeroflot Best Major Airline in Europe and Best Business Class globally.

About Aeroflot 

Aeroflot is Russia's flagship carrier and a proud member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance. Aeroflot and its partners serve 1,074 destinations in 177 countries worldwide. In 2016, Aeroflot carried 29 million passengers (43.4 million passengers as Aeroflot Group including subsidiaries). 

Aeroflot became the first Russian airline to be awarded Four Star Airline status by Skytrax in recognition of the high-quality of its customer service. In 2017, Aeroflot was named Best Airline in Eastern Europe for the sixth time at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. 

In 2017, Aeroflot was named the most powerful brand in Russia and the world's strongest airline brand by leading valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance. Aeroflot was also named Best Major Airline in Europe by TripAdvisor travellers and recognised as the Favourite International Airline in China at the Flyer Award Ceremony 2017. 

Aeroflot operates one of the youngest fleets in the world with 202 aircraft. Aeroflot is based in Moscow, at Sheremetyevo International Airport. 

Aeroflot is among the global leaders in aviation safety, with a European Community Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) Index, the main globally recognized safety parameter, comparable to global peers. 

The first Russian carrier to enter the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) register, renewing its registration for the seventh time in 2017, Aeroflot has successfully passed the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) and is fully ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2004 compliant. 

Find out more at http://www.aeroflot.com/