SINGAPORE’S flag carrier is back on top.
The airline was named Airline of the Year at the glitzy 2018 Skytrax World Airline awards ceremony, the aviation industry’s equivalent of the Oscars, in London on July 17, 2018.
It also claimed best first class, best airline in Asia, and best first class seat.
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“Singapore Airlines is honored to be named World’s Best Airline in the Skytrax awards, and I dedicate it to the 26,000 SIA Group employees who focus every day on delivering the world’s best travel experience to our customers,” Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said in a statement.
“The recognition will further motivate us to improve upon the three main pillars of our brand promise – product leadership, service excellence and network connectivity – to ensure we retain our competitive advantage and continue to meet and exceed customer expectations.”
Singapore Airlines last held the honor in 2008. Prior to that, the airline also won in 2004 and 2007, making this year’s win its fourth. It knocked last year’s victor Qatar Airways into second place.
Thank you for voting us as Skytrax’s World’s Best Airline 2018! pic.twitter.com/P5ru7QDhGF
— Singapore Airlines (@SingaporeAir) July 17, 2018
Doha-based Qatar Airways came out on top in 2017, 2015, 2012, and 2011.
Its network spans business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America. Last year, Qatar Airways unveiled its QSuite, a revolutionary take on its business class that allows the passenger to lower a partition to create a double bed.
Although the airline lost its crown this year, it still bagged Skytrax awards for best business class, best airline in the Middle East, best first class lounge, and best business class seat.
In third place is Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA), home to one of the world’s largest fleets of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. ANA flies to around 80 international routes and over 110 domestic routes.
Earlier this year, two ANA ground staff were filmed offloading bags from an aircraft and were highly praised for the gentle manner in which they did so. The airline was honored with the award for the best aircraft cabin cleanliness, best airline staff in Asia (well deserved), and best cabin crew in Japan as well.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner taxis in front of other aircraft at the Tokyo International Airport, commonly known as Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan January 10, 2018. Source: Reuters/Toru Hanai
In fact, Asian airlines dominate the Skytrax World Airline awards this year, taking a whopping total of nine out of top 10 spots. In fourth place is the Dubai-based Emirates, home to a fleet of more than 265 aircraft. Emirates currently flies to over 155 destinations in more than 80 countries around the world.
Coming close is Taiwanese airline EVA Air, which connects Asia and Mainland China to Europe, North America and Oceania and links more than 60 major business and tourist destinations.
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Here are the world’s top 10 airlines of 2018.
- Singapore Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- All Nippon Airways (ANA)
- Emirates
- EVA Air
- Cathay Pacific
- Lufthansa
- Hainan Airlines
- Garuda Indonesia
- Thai Airways
Other notable Asian airline accolades include China Southern Airlines for winning the world’s most improved airline and AirAsia’s continued dominance being named the world’s best low-cost airline.
A version of this article originally appeared on our sister site Travel Wire Asia.
