Home Page
The Premier Airline Awards
Airline Videos

The most prestigious accolades for the world airline industry. Travellers from over 160 countries take part each year in the world’s largest airline passenger satisfaction survey, to decide the award winners. The World Airline Awards are the global benchmark of airline excellence.


2011 WINNERS
Best Airline Winners
Airline of the Year Most Improved Airline Leisure Airline Inflight Entertainment Cabin Staff Airline Alliance Airport Services Transatlantic Airline Transpacific Airline
Best by Cabin
First Class Business Class Premium Economy Economy Class
Best Seats
First Class Business Class Premium Economy Economy Class
Best Lounges
Lounge : First Class Lounge : Business Class
Best Catering
First Class Meals Business Class Meals Premium Economy Meals Economy Class Meals
Best by Region
Africa Asia Australia / Pacific China Central Asia / India Europe Middle East North America - Intl North America - Dom C America / Caribbean South America Europe - Southern Europe - Northern Europe - Western Europe - Eastern
Staff Service winners
Africa Asia Australia / Pacific China Central Asia / India Europe Middle East North America C America / Caribbean South America
Best Regional Airlines
Worldwide Asia China Europe North America South America
Best Low-Cost Airlines
Worldwide Asia Australia / Pacific Europe Central Asia / India North America South America


PAST WINNERS

2010 Airline Awards
2009 Airline Awards
2011 Airport Awards


Follow SKYTRAX on Facebook





Airline of the Year 2009




The trusted Airline Awards
 

Cathay Pacific Airline of the Year for 2009



  View the full 2009 World Airline Awards results


For the 3rd time in 10 years, Cathay Pacific has been named World's Best Airline, winning the 2009 Airline of the Year title in the latest World Airline Awards - Cathay Pacific being a previous winner of this prestige global title in 2003 and 2005.

Edward Plaisted (CEO of Skytrax) said ... " the Cathay Pacific victory this year is the third occasion in the last ten years they have won this prestige title. A factor behind the Cathay Pacific win is clearly the consistency of product and service that they provide to their customers. Not only are Cathay Pacific satisfying their passengers onboard flights, but the ratings they achieved for their airport operations in Hong Kong also played a considerable part in this success. At a time of considerable difficulty across world economies and of course the airline industry itself, it is nice to have some truly good news to spread in announcing the 2009 World Airline Airline Awards. We extend our congratulations to Cathay Pacific Airways on their crowning as 2009 Airline of the Year. These Awards represent the voice and opinions of the travelling public, and bears great testimony to the quality of service being delivered in the front-line".


For the 3rd time in 10 years, Cathay Pacific has been named World's Best Airline, winning the 2009 Airline of the Year title in the latest World Airline Awards - Cathay Pacific being a previous winner of this prestige global title in 2003 and 2005.

Edward Plaisted (CEO of Skytrax) said ... " the Cathay Pacific victory this year is the third occasion in the last ten years they have won this prestige title. A factor behind the Cathay Pacific win is clearly the consistency of product and service that they provide to their customers. Not only are Cathay Pacific satisfying their passengers onboard flights, but the ratings they achieved for their airport operations in Hong Kong also played a considerable part in this success. At a time of considerable difficulty across world economies and of course the airline industry itself, it is nice to have some truly good news to spread in announcing the 2009 World Airline Airline Awards. We extend our congratulations to Cathay Pacific Airways on their crowning as 2009 Airline of the Year. These Awards represent the voice and opinions of the travelling public, and bears great testimony to the quality of service being delivered in the front-line".


  View Results summary & Press Release


AIRLINE OF THE YEAR 2009

Rank

Airline

2008

1

Cathay Pacific Airways

2

2

Singapore Airlines

1

3

Asiana Airlines

5

4

Qatar Airways

7

5

Emirates

9

6

Qantas

3

7

Etihad Airways

10

8

Air New Zealand

8

9

Malaysia Airlines

6

10

Thai Airways

4

© Skytrax

Publication allowed with prior consent of Skytrax




SURVEY METHODOLOGY

The survey was operated over an 8 month period (August 2008 to March 2009), during which time 16.2 million air travellers completed a wide range of survey nominations - for the Airline of the Year title, together with regional and other award categories.  The Survey data is collated from a variety of input sources, including:


  Passenger Interviews completed online & via e-mail

  Business Research Group / Travel Panel Interviews

  Corporate Travel Questionnaire / Interviews

  Telephone Interviews

  Selective Passenger Interviews



Product and Service factors ranked by customers in the survey included :


GROUND / AIRPORT

Standard of Airline web site

Online Booking service 

Online check-in services 

Airport Ticket Counters

Waiting times at Check-in 
Quality of Check-in service
Self Check-in options
Boarding Procedures
Friendliness of Ground staff 
Efficiency of Ground Staff
Transfer services
Arrival services
Baggage Delivery 
Handling Delays


ONBOARD : PRODUCT

Cabin Seat comfort
Cabin Cleanliness
Toilet Cleanliness
Cabin Lighting / Ambience
Cabin Temperatures
Cabin Comfort amenities
Reading Materials
Airline magazine
Inflight Entertainment standards
Audio / Movie programming 
AVOD options
Quality of Meals
Quantity of Food served
Meal Choices
Selection of Drinks / Pay bar formats

ONBOARD : STAFF SERVICE

Assistance thru Boarding
Friendliness of Staff
Service Attentiveness / Efficiency
Consistency of Service across different flights
Staff Language skills
Meal service efficiency
Availability thru Flight / Cabin presence
PA announcements
Problem solving Skills
General Staff Attitudes 
Staff Grooming




About the Passengers Choice Awards

Skytrax guarantee total transparency across the World Airline Survey process, and the awards operate on a not-for-profit basis. The sole directive is for real customers to make their own, honest choices as to the airlines they consider to be best, and worthy of an award - which is why the results are known as the Passengers Choice Awards.

Airlines do not subscribe to be included in the customer survey, there is no membership criteria, and no charge for winners to attend the World Airline Awards ceremony. To reinforce this credibility, the complete independence and clarity of survey and awards process, Skytrax do not accept any third party sponsorship.



Past winners of the Skytrax World Airline Awards include:

Aegean Airlines
Air Arabia
Air Arabia
Air Berlin
Air Canada
Air New Zealand
Air Tahiti Nui
AirAsia
Asiana Airlines
Bangkok Airways
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
China Southern Airlines
Continental Airlines
CSA Czech Airlines
Dragonair
Emirates
Etihad Airways
Finnair
Garuda Indonesia
GOL
Hainan Airlines
IndiGo
Jet Airways
jetBlue Airways
JetStar Airways
Kingfisher Airlines

Kingfisher Red
Kulula
LAN Airlines
Lufthansa
Malaysia Airlines
Malev Hungarian Airlines
Oneworld
Porter Airlines
Qantas Airways
Qatar Airways
SilkAir
Singapore Airlines
Skymark Airlines
South African Airways
Spring Airlines
Swiss Int'l Air Lines
TACA Airlines
Thai Airways
Thomson Airways
Transaero Airlines
Turkish Airlines
Virgin America
Virgin Atlantic Airways
Virgin Blue
Volaris, Webjet
WestJet
Wizz Air








the Trusted Awards

Based on the SKYTRAX global, independent passenger survey of airline standards, the World Airline Awards are respected and recognised around the world for the professional and unmatched level of transparency that they deliver.

The Awards are NOT subscriber based and every airline across the world is eligible

The Awards are NOT limited to a selected number of airlines

The Awards are NOT limited to any selected geographical region

The Awards are NOT profit-driven  (ethics win out over profit!)

The Awards are NOT part of a self-interest award program

The Awards are NOT based on any type of pay-to-attend Awards ceremony

The Awards are NOT driven by any associated or resultant advertising

The Awards are NOT sponsored or influenced by any third party

Airlines do NOT pay to be included in the Survey or Awards process









 

|  Home Page  |  Passengers Choice Awards  |  Press room  |  Contact Us  |  Survey Methodology  |  Airline Reviews  |  Site Map  |

© 1989-2013  Copyright Skytrax All rights reserved   -   The World Airline Awards