- Qatar Airways has been named Airline of the Year 2024 by AirlineRatings.com.
- Airline Ratings’ criteria included safety, fleet age, passenger reviews, and profitability.
- Qatar Airways also won Best Business Class and Best Catering.
- Air New Zealand recognized for Best Economy Class.
- Emirates awarded Best In-Flight Entertainment and Best Premium Economy.
- Qatar Airways led in Middle East long-haul travel, with regional awards also given to Korean Air, Air France, and others.
Qatar Airways has been honoured as the Airline of the Year for 2024 by AirlineRatings.com, the leading safety and product rating website for the aviation industry.
The airline surpassed previous winners, including Air New Zealand, and other major contenders like Korean Air, Cathay Pacific Airways, and Emirates, to secure the top spot.
The prestigious Airline Excellence Awards are decided by a panel of five editors with over a century of combined industry experience.
Their evaluation process considers major safety and government audits, alongside 12 key criteria.
These criteria include fleet age, passenger reviews, profitability, safety rating, product rating, innovation, and forward fleet orders.
Geoffrey Thomas, the Editor-in-Chief of AirlineRatings.com, praised Qatar Airways for its outstanding performance across many critical areas. “In our objective analysis, Qatar Airways emerged as the leader in numerous key categories, although the scoring for the top ten was very close,” said Thomas.
He highlighted that passenger reviews particularly distinguished Qatar Airways, noting the airline’s consistent and high standard of service delivery reflected in the feedback.
Qatar Airways also excelled in specific categories, winning Best Business Class for the fifth consecutive year and Best Catering.
Air New Zealand, while edged out for the top overall spot, was recognized for having the Best Economy Class.
Other notable awards include Singapore Airlines receiving Best First Class and Virgin Australia being named Best Cabin Crew.
Emirates took home the awards for Best In-Flight Entertainment and Best Premium Economy, while Qantas was honoured with Best Lounges.
Etihad Airways was named Best Environmental Airline for the third consecutive year, acknowledging its commitment to sustainability.
In terms of regional excellence in long-haul travel, Qatar Airways dominated the Middle East, while Korean Air led in North Asia. Air France was the top performer in Europe, Air Canada in North America, Latam in South America, Turkish Airlines in Southern Europe, Cathay Pacific Airways in Southeast Asia, and Air New Zealand in the Australia/Pacific region.
The title of Best Regional Airline went to Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA).
Meanwhile, the awards for Best Low-Cost Airlines were distributed across different regions: Southwest for the Americas, Fly Dubai for the Middle East, AirAsia Group for Asia, Jetstar Group for Australia/Pacific, and easyJet for Europe.
Vietjet received accolades for Best Ultra Low-Cost Airline and Best Low-Cost Airline Onboard Hospitality, highlighting the exceptional value of its onboard services.
The Top 25 premium airlines list features a diverse group of leading carriers, including Qatar Airways, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific Airways, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Air France/KLM, All Nippon Airways, Etihad Airways, Qantas, Virgin Australia/Atlantic, Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, TAP Portugal, Japan Airlines, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Lufthansa/Swiss, Turkish Airlines, IGA Group (British Airways & Iberia), Air Canada, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines.
Additionally, AirlineRatings.com announced its Top 25 Best Low-Cost Airlines in alphabetical order: AirAsia Group, Air Baltic, Air Canada Rouge, Cebu Pacific, easyJet, Eurowings, FlyDubai, FlyNAS, GOL, Jetblue, Jet2, Jetstar Group, Jeju Air, Norwegian, Peach, Ryanair, Scoot, SpiceJet, Sun Country, Southwest, Transavia, Vietjet, Volotea, Vueling, and Wizz Air.
Qatar Airways’ recognition as Airline of the Year 2024 underscores its commitment to excellence in all facets of its operations, from passenger service to safety and innovation, solidifying its reputation as a world-leading airline.
