Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has been ranked the best airport in Africa and 38th globally, according to a new survey by flight compensation company AirHelp.

The ranking was based on three factors namely: on-time performance, quality of service (a combination of public reviews from reliable sites around the world) and a claims-processing score (which reflects how a company handles customer complaints).

JKIA scored an overall 7.9 out of 10; 8.3 for on-time performance, 7.2 for quality of service, and 9.3 for passenger sentiments.

This year's rating is an improvement compared to 2017 when the airport scored an overall performance of 7.1 per cent.

AirHelp examined data from December 22, 2017, to March 20, 2018, factoring in delayed and cancelled flights, public reviews from trustworthy sources and social media sentiment analysis.

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) managing director Jonny Andersen lauded the improvement in the ranking in the wake of ongoing major modernisation works at the airport.

Addis Ababa

“JKIA airport has earned its position as a key aviation hub for the region and indeed the continent. Being the main gateway to the country, continuous improvement of service standards will aid our success in reclaiming our position as the premier tourist destination on the continent,” said Mr Andersen.

JKIA floored its African peers including Ethiopia's Addis Ababa airport which topped the continent in 2017 but is missing from this year’s list.

Qatar's Hamad international airport edged Singapore Changi airport to top spot with an overall score of 8.7.

AirHelp, a technology company founded in 2013, provides legal services to airline passengers who have experienced a flight cancellation, delay or overbooking when traveling into or out of the European Union. The firm introduced the ranking system in 2015.