World’s best airline 2018: Singapore Airlines voted winner, toppling Qatar Airways; Cathay Pacific, Hainan Airlines in top 10, Hong Kong Airlines in top 20
Win for Singapore Airlines in annual Skytrax survey of 24 million passengers is its first since 2008; carrier is one of 15 from Asia-Pacific in the top 25; three Gulf carriers and seven from Europe, including Aeroflot, make up the rest
Singapore Airlines has been named the world’s No. 1 airline, knocking off 2017 winner Qatar Airways, according to the annual World Airline Awards published by Skytrax.
Singapore’s title – its first since 2008 and fourth overall – comes after it finished second in last year’s World Airline Awards. It also ends what had been a back-and-forth battle for the top spot between Qatar Airways and its Gulf rival Emirates, which alternated at the No. 1 spot for past three years.
This year, Qatar Airways dropped to No. 2 while Emirates finished fourth for the second consecutive year. No. 3 All Nippon Airways (ANA) of Japan and No. 5 EVA Air of Taiwan rounded out the top five of the ratings, which were announced on the sidelines of the biennial Farnborough Airshow in England.
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific fell one spot to sixth, while Hong Kong Airlines and China Southern Airlines climbed into the world’s top 20. The top China-based carrier was Hainan Airlines, in eighth place. Lufthansa was the top European airline, in seventh spot. No North American carriers made the top 25, while 15 of the top 25 were based in Asia-Pacific.
Singapore welcomed its climb back to the top spot.
