Qatar Airways has taken back the title of World’s Best Airline for the eighth time, in the 2024 Skytrax Awards. But it wasn’t all plain flying for the Qatari flag carrier. Competition from last year’s winner, Singapore Airlines, was so fierce that the result was only finally decided after a recount.
Aviation consultancy London-headquartered Skytrax announced the winners of the annual series of gongs at a gala event near Heathrow attended by industry heavyweights. The independent ranking is based on responses to online customer surveys carried out over the nine months to May 2024, with 21 million customers and more than 100 different nationalities taking part to rate over 350 airlines on a range of criteria.
In what turned out to be a convincing win in the end, Qatar not only took the prize for World’s Best Airline 2024, but also swept up Best Airline in the Middle East, World’s Best Business Class, and the World’s Best Business Class Lounge. The carrier has been a key contributor to the rising reputation of its hub, Hamad International Airport, just outside Doha.
Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted hailed the award as “a remarkable achievement for Qatar Airways”, congratulating the airline on “the eighth time they have triumphed,” in a “success which should be a source of great pride and satisfaction for the airline management and staff.”
Responding in a statement, the airline’s CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer called the accolade “a proud Qatar Airways moment” which he attributed to “our relentless dedication to providing unparalleled service and innovation. We look forward to more wins in the future.”
Honoured to be back on top after being crowned ‘Airline of the Year’ for the 8th time.
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) June 25, 2024
We are the first aviation group in Skytrax history to win: Best Airline, Best Airport and Best Airport for Shopping, all in the same year🏆
⁰We celebrate today's win with our team at Qatar… pic.twitter.com/xh87GNIN7H
Five-time winner and this year’s second-placed Singapore Airlines collected the awards for World’s Best Cabin Staff, Best First Class service and Best Airline in Asia, thanks to what its Senior Vice President, Tan Pee Teck, called the “unwavering dedication and professionalism” of its staff.
Not for the first time, the top 10 featured not a single North American airline, with Middle Eastern and Asian airlines dominating the top spots. Dubai’s Emirates took third place, followed by Japan’s ANA All Nippon Airways, Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific in fifth, and Japan Airlines ranked sixth. Turkish Airlines placed seventh and Taiwan’s EVA Air came in at eighth position, and Europe edged into the top 10 with Air France in ninth and Swiss International Airlines in the 10th spot.
When it comes to budget flying, there were few surprises. AirAsia, which has won every year since 2010, again took the prize for the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline. Singapore’s Scoot meanwhile placed first for Best Long Haul Low Cost Airline.
The World’s Top 20 Airlines of 2024
1. Qatar Airways
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Emirates
4. ANA All Nippon Airways
5. Cathay Pacific
6. Japan Airlines
7. Turkish Airlines
8. EVA Air
9. Air France
10. Swiss International Air Lines
11. Korean Air
12. Hainan Airlines
13. British Airways
14. Fiji Airways
15. Iberia
16. Vistara
17. Virgin Atlantic
18. Lufthansa
19. Etihad Airways
20. Saudi Arabian Airlines
