In a year marked by significant upheaval and transformation in the airline industry, AirlineRatings.com has unveiled its long-awaited list of the World’s Best Airlines for 2024.
AirlineRatings.com, the only global safety and product rating site, combines major safety and government audits with 12 key factors including fleet age, passenger reviews, profitability, safety rating, product rating, innovation and future fleet orders.
Topping the table for 204 is Qatar Airways, which was named airline of the year for its superior service and innovation. This win puts Qatar Airways ahead of former champions such as Air New Zealand, which topped the list in 2023.
“In our objective analysis, Qatar Airways came out number one in several key areas, although it was a very close ranking for the top five,” Geoffrey Thomas, editor-in-chief at AirlineRatings.com, told me in an interview. “Qatar Airways won thanks to very positive passenger reviews of its business class and economy cabins.”
A new report ranks the world’s best airlines for 2024
In addition to the overall ranking of the world’s airlines, AirlineRatings.com also awards airlines in various categories. This year, Qatar Airways was named best business class for the fifth consecutive year and best catering.
Other notable winners for 2024 include Air New Zealand (which won best economy class), Singapore Airlines (best first class), Virgin Australia (best cabin crew), Emirates (best in-flight entertainment, best economy class), Qantas (best lounges) and Etihad Airways (best environmental airline).
On the other hand, US carriers performed poorly: JetBlue came in 16th, followed by Hawaiian Airlines (number 17) and Alaska Airlines (number 18). Major carriers were at the bottom of the list, with Delta Air Lines at 23rd, United Airlines at 24th and American Airlines at 25th.
“The major US carriers continued to do poorly due to an aging fleet and very poor passenger response,” he says.
Airline Ratings.com also ranked the best low-cost airlines by region and the winners were Southwest (Americas), Fly Dubai (Middle East), AirAsia Group (Asia), Jetstar Group (Australia/Pacific) and easyJet (Europe). ). Vietjet also won two awards for Best Ultra Low Cost Airline and Best Low Cost Airline for In-flight Hospitality (recognizing the value of its onboard offering).
According to Thomas, the 2024 results reflected the recovery after COVID-19 in the airline industry. “The results for 2024 reflect the acceleration of the recovery in the airline industry following the massive disruption of COVID to staff and supply chains,” it says. “Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates and Air France all jumped up the list to be in the top ten.”
And while there have been recent high-profile safety issues — particularly with Boeing planes, as well as a recent Singapore Airlines turbulence incident — Thomas said that did not affect the 2024 ranking. “The publicity surrounding Boeing did not affect the results as it is airline classifications. However, it should be noted that there are just as many incidents involving Airbus aircraft as Boeing, and much of the publicity surrounding Boeing is simply not correct,” he says. “The turbulence tragedy involving Singapore Airlines was not considered as we do not yet know the cause.”
The AirlineRatings.com report provides a comprehensive and objective assessment of the world’s leading airlines, helping passengers make informed choices. With Qatar Airways leading the way, the 2024 ranking reflects both the achievements and challenges in the aviation industry.
Here are the top 25 airlines in the world for 2024. For more detailed rankings and information, 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
- AIRLINES cat
- Korean Air
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- Air New Zealand
- Emirate
- 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/Switzerland
- TURKISH AIRLINES
- IGA Group (British Airways & Iberia)
- Air Canada
- Delta Air Lines
- united airlines
- American Airlines
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