Emirates airlines, the Dubai-based carrier, has lost the crown to Cathay Pacific Airways as the best airline in the world, a new survey reveals.
The latest World Airline Survey, conducted online between August 2013 and May 2014, during which more than 18 million customer surveys were completed, showed that Emirates has moved three places down to occupy the fifth spot.
The carrier was last year’s best airline. Until 2013, the airline had been moving up in the world rankings since 2010, when it landed in the 8th place.
Emirates airlines, however, bagged this year’s crown as the world’s top carrier for inflight entertainment, while another Middle Eastern flagship carrier, Qatar Airways, maintained the second spot in the overall rankings.
Considered as the “Oscars” in the airline industry, the World Airline Survey collated feedback from respondents representing 105 different nationalities. It covered more than 245 airlines, from largest international carriers to smaller domestic airlines.
The survey was based on measuring customer satisfaction for the passenger experience, across both airport and onboard environments, including check-in boarding, onboard seat comfort, cabin cleanliness, food, beverages, staff service and associated travel items, among others.
This year’s best low-cost carrier trophy went to Air Asia. Garuda Indonesia went home with the best airline cabin crew award, while Bangkok Airways bagged the world’s best regional airline crown.
Singapore Airlines beat the competition in the best airline in first class category, while Asiana Airlines was named the best carrier in economy class. Air France emerged as the best carrier for first class airline lounges and Qatar Airways came out as the winner in business class airline lounges.
This year’s winners were honoured in a ceremony on Tuesday at the Farnborough International Airshow.
The complete list of winners:
THE WORLD’S BEST 20 AIRLINES - 2014
1 Cathay Pacific Airways
2 Qatar Airways
3 Singapore Airlines
4 Emirates
5 Turkish Airlines
6 ANA All Nippon Airways
7 Garuda Indonesia
8 Asiana Airlines
9 Etihad Airways
10 Lufthansa
11 Qantas Airways
12 EVA Air
13 Swiss
14 Thai Airways
15 Virgin Australia
16 Air New Zealand
17 British Airways
18 Malaysia Airlines
19 Hainan Airlines
20 Bangkok Airways
THE WORLD’S BEST LOW-COST AIRLINES
1 AirAsia
2 AirAsiaX
3 Norwegian
4 Jetstar Airways
5 Indigo
6 easyJet
7 WestJet
8 Virgin America
9 Jetstar Asia
10 Scoot
THE WORLD’S BEST AIRLINE CABIN CREW
1 Garuda Indonesia
2 Cathay Pacific Airways
3 Singapore Airlines
4 Asiana Airlines
5 Malaysia Airlines
6 Qatar Airways
7 EVA Air
8 ANA All Nippon Airways
9 Thai Airways
10 Hainan Airlines
THE WORLD’S BEST REGIONAL AIRLINES
1 Bangkok Airways
2 Dragonair
3 Aegean Airlines
4 SilkAir
5 Porter Airlines
6 Copa Airlines
7 jetBlue Airways
8 Tianjin Airlines
9 Alaska Airlines
10 Shenzhen Airlines
THE WORLD’S BEST AIRLINE INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
1 Emirates
2 Singapore Airlines
3 Turkish Airlines
4 Qantas Airways
5 Cathay Pacific Airways
6 Virgin Atlantic
7 Qatar Airways
8 Air New Zealand
9 Virgin Australia
10 Etihad Airways
THE WORLD’S BEST AIRLINES IN FIRST CLASS
1 Singapore Airlines
2 ANA All Nippon Airways
3 Etihad Airways
4 Cathay Pacific Airways
5 Emirates
6 Lufthansa
7 Qantas Airways
8 Qatar Airways
9 Garuda Indonesia
10 Japan Airlines
THE WORLD’S BEST AIRLINES IN BUSINESS CLASS
1 Qatar Airways
2 Cathay Pacific Airways
3 Singapore Airlines
4 Oman Air
5 Turkish Airlines
6 Qantas Airways
7 Etihad Airways
8 Garuda Indonesia
9 Emirates
10 Hainan Airlines
