Air New Zealand has been named as the world's best airline for the fifth year in a row in AirlineRatings.com's annual assessment of the world's carriers.
The Irish Independent reports that Air New Zealand triumphed over its antipodean rivals Qantas and Singapore Airlines, which ranked number two and three, respectively, to take the top spot for 2018.
Based in Australia, AirlineRatings.com rates the safety and in-flight product of more than 435 airlines worldwide. The website relies on 13 criteria to create its rankings, including carriers' safety records, innovations in passenger comfort, passenger reviews, fleet age and environmental credentials.
Its top ten airlines for 2018 are:
- Air New Zealand
- Qantas
- Singapore Airlines
- Virgin Australia
- Virgin Atlantic
- Etihad Airways
- All Nippon Airways
- Korean Air
- Cathay Pacific
- Japan Airline
Air New Zealand was ranked number one "for its continued record-breaking financial performance, in-flight innovations, environmental leadership, young fleet and motivation of its staff." However, the judging team also asserted, "Whether number one or number ten, these airlines are the best of the best - the elite in aviation."
