Following a year that has seen huge recovery and transformation in the aviation industry, AirlineRatings.com has released its long-awaited 2024 list of the World’s Best Airlines.
AirlineRatings.com, the only global safety and product ratings website, combines leading safety and government audits with 12 key factors including aircraft age, passenger reviews, profitability, safety ratings, product ratings, innovation and future aircraft orders.
Topping the rankings at 204th place is Qatar Airways, which was named Airline of the Year for its excellent service and innovation. With this win, Qatar Airways surpasses previous champions such as Air New Zealand, which took the top spot in 2023.
“While our objective analysis showed that the top five scores were very close, Qatar Airways took first place in many key areas,” Jeffrey Thomas, editor-in-chief of AirlineRatings.com, said in an interview. “Qatar Airways won because it received very favorable ratings from passengers in both business and economy class.”
New report ranks world’s best airlines for 2024
In addition to an overall ranking of the world’s best airlines, AirlineRatings.com also awards airlines in a variety of categories. This year, Qatar Airways was named Best Business Class and Best Catering for the fifth consecutive year.
Other notable winners in 2024 include Air New Zealand (Best Economy Class), Singapore Airlines (Best First Class), Virgin Australia (Best Cabin Crew), Emirates (Best In-Flight Entertainment, Best Premium Economy), Qantas (Best Lounge) and Etihad Airways (Best Environmental Airline).
Meanwhile, US airlines did not fare well, with JetBlue coming in at 16th, Hawaiian Airlines (17th) and Alaska Airlines (18th). The big, established airlines were at the bottom of the list, with Delta Air Lines at 23rd, United Airlines at 24th and American Airlines at 25th.
“Major U.S. airlines continue to struggle due to aging fleets and poor passenger response,” he said.
Airline Ratings.com also released a ranking of the best low-cost airlines by region, with winners being Southwest Airlines (Americas), Flydubai Airlines (Middle East), AirAsia Group (Asia), Jetstar Group (Australia/Pacific) and easyJet Airlines (Europe). VietJet Air also won two awards: Best Ultra Low-Cost Airline and Best Low-Cost Airline In-Flight Hospitality, which recognises the value of its in-flight service.
Thomas said the 2024 results reflect the aviation industry’s post-COVID recovery. “The 2024 results reflect the accelerating recovery of the aviation industry after the massive COVID-19 disruption to workforces and supply chains,” he said. “Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Air France all made it into the top 10 of the list.”
And while there has been recent high-profile safety issues, particularly with Boeing and the Singapore Airlines turbulence incident, Thomas said this had not influenced the 2024 rankings. “This is an airline ranking, so the publicity around Boeing has not influenced the results. However, it should be noted that there are just as many Airbus accidents as Boeing, and a lot of the publicity around Boeing is simply not true,” he said. “The Singapore Airlines turbulence incident was not taken into account as the cause is still unknown.”
AirlineRatings.com reports provide comprehensive and objective assessments of the world’s leading airlines to help passengers make informed choices. Led by Qatar Airways, the 2024 rankings reflect both achievements and challenges in the aviation industry.
Here are the top 25 airlines in the world for 2024. For more detailed rankings and insights, visit AirlineRatings.com.
Qatar Airways has been named the world’s best airline in a new report.
Ranking: The world’s best airlines for 2024
- Qatar Airways
- Korean Air
- Cathay Pasific Airlines
- Air New Zealand
- Emirates
- Air France/KLM
- All Nippon Airways
- Etihad Airways
- Qantas
- Virgin Australia/Atlantic
- Vietnam Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- EVA Air
- TAP Portugal
- Finnair
- JetBlue
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Alaska Airlines
- Lufthansa/Swiss
- Turkish Airlines
- IGA Group (British Airways & Iberia)
- Air Canada
- Delta Airlines
- United Airlines
- American Airlines
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