Qatar Airways has been named the greatest airline in the world by Skytrax for the eighth time in the annual awards' 25-year history, adding to an ever-mounting trophy cabinet for the premium Middle Eastern company.
The airline, which last month topped a similar list by AirlineRatings.com, dethroned Singapore Airlines from last year's number one spot - pushing it to second place.
Air New Zealand fell to 22nd from 19th in 2023. In the regional rankings, Aotearoa's national carrier came in second place behind Fiji Airways for best airline in Australia and the Pacific.
Emirates came in third place, followed by Japan's ANA, with Cathay Pacific rounding out the top five.
Qatar Airways has built an exceptional reputation for service in recent years with its base airport, Hamad International in Doha, also winning several awards. It flies between Auckland and Doha every day, connecting New Zealanders with a vast network of destinations around the world.
The airline's CEO Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer said: "This is a proud Qatar Airways moment, and it is my honour to share this award with my hardworking colleagues. This award is testimony to our relentless dedication to providing unparalleled service and innovation. We look forward to more wins in the future."
Skytrax said Qatar beat Singapore by the narrowest margin in the awards' history. The votes are gathered from surveys of millions of international customers and the slim difference this year caused a recount, the organisation said.
AirAsia was awarded the World's Best Low-Cost Airline, as it has been every year since 2010, while Singapore's Scoot was named the World's Best Long Haul-Low Cost Airline.
Skytrax's top 25 airlines of 2024:
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Emirates
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Japan Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
- EVA Air
- Air France
- Swiss International Air Lines
- Korean Air
- Hainan Airlines
- British Airways
- Fiji Airways
- Iberia
- Vistara
- Virgin Atlantic
- Lufthansa
- Etihad Airways
- Saudi Arabian Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Air New Zealand
- Finnair
- Qantas
- Oman Air.
The full list of winners is published on the Skytrax website.