The World Airline Awards, the aviation industry’s night of nights, the Oscars and the Golden Globes rolled into one for the mile-high crowd (IDK, it’s pretty prestigious, apparently) were held this week, honouring the best carriers world-wide.
Australia sadly did not come out on top, but our own Qantas did manage to crack the top 10, and it’s still the world’s safest airline, so you may now commence chanting ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie’ as loudly as you see fit.
Per reports in Traveler, Qantas came in at number 10 on the list of the world’s best, while Qatar Airways took out the number one spot.
(A cynic might mention that the FBI are currently investigating bribery and corruption allegations in relation to Qatar’s successful 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, but we’ve never uttered a cynical word in our lives).
Etihad Airways withdrew themselves from contention this year, citing dissatisfaction with the methods used by research firm Skytrax, who hand out the awards.
The full top 10 list is as follows:
1 Qatar Airways
2 Singapore Airlines
3 Cathay Pacific Airways
4 Turkish Airlines
5 Emirates
6 Etihad Airways
7 ANA All Nippon Airways
8 Garuda Indonesia
9 EVA Air
10 Qantas Airways
Garuda Indonesia picked up the award for the best cabin staff, while Asiana Airlines picked up the award for World’s Best Economy Class carrier. Emirates have the best in-flight entertainment, while Singapore Airlines are best for business class.
In case you missed it, cheapskates those of us who fly on a budget should also note that last month, Tiger received the dubious honour of being the most complained-about airline in Australia.
Photo: Scott Barbour via Getty Images
