The World Airline Awards survey programme launched in 1999, since when the awards have become established as the most Prestigious and Recognized awards for the airline industry.

Airline of the Year : Winner history
2011	Qatar Airways
2010	Asiana Airlines
2009	Cathay Pacific Airways
2008	Singapore Airlines
2007	Singapore Airlines
2006	British Airways
2005	Cathay Pacific Airways
2004	Singapore Airlines
2003	Cathay Pacific Airways
2002	Emirates
2001	Emirates

The World Airline Awards™ are regarded as the primary benchmarking tool for Passenger Satisfaction levels of airlines throughout the world - delivering a unique survey format based on analysis of business and leisure travellers, across all cabin travel types (First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy class passengers).

The study analyses customer satisfaction for the Airline Passenger Experience, across the Airport and Onboard environments - check-in to boarding, onboard seat comfort, cabin cleanliness, food, beverages, IFE and  staff service.

Past winners of the 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