It’s the fourth time the Middle Eastern airline has pipped its rival to the coveted top spot since the awards were introduced in 2001. Last year’s winner, Emirates, meanwhile, slip down to fourth, which comes as a surprise to many.
The results of the awards – which have been dubbed the ‘Oscars of the aviation industry’ – are determined by a public vote, which this year garnered a staggering 20 million opinions from across the globe on 320 airlines. Participants were asked to rank the airlines on 49 criteria, including the check-in process, seat comfort, cabin cleanliness, quality of meals, and service.
As can be expected, the top ten, which can be seen below, was dominated by Asian and Middle Eastern airlines. Singapore Airlines jumped one spot on last year’s placing to second, followed by Japan’s ANA in third, Emirates in fourth, and Cathay Pacific in fifth. EVA Air, Lufthansa, Etihad, Hainan and Indonesia’s Garuda make up the top ten.
British Airways came in at number 40, dropping from 26th place in 2016, while Virgin Atlantic dropped five places to number 33. Aeromexico came in at the bottom of the pack at number 100 ranking, dropping six places from 94 in last year’s award.
Etihad was named as having the best First Class, Qatar Airways the best Business Class, Qantas won best Premium Economy, and Thai Airways was judged to have the best Economy class.
Additionally, Garuda Indonesia was given the honour of having the World’s Best Airline Cabin Crew, and Aegean Airlines won Europe’s best airline
The World’s Top 10 Airlines in 2017 looks like this:
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Emirates
- Cathay Pacific
- EVA Air
- Lufthansa
- Etihad Airways
- Hainan Airlines
- Garuda Indonesia
The full list of the world’s top 100 airlines in 2017 can be seen here.
