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World's best airlines 2022: Surprise as Qantas surges into top five as world's best airline named
By Craig Platt
Qatar Airways has been named the world's best airline for the seventh time.Credit: iStock
Despite passenger outrage over record flight delays and cancellations, plus lengthy waits for customer service responses, Qantas has been named the world's fifth-best airline, according to the annual World Airline Awards.
Qantas climbed from eighth spot last year to fifth at this year's awards, announced on Friday night at the Langham Hotel in London.
Qatar Airways was named the world's best airline for 2022, the seventh time the Middle Eastern carrier has taken out the top spot.
Qantas climbed from eighth to fifth spot in the 2022 rankings.Credit: Getty Images
The awards are based on customer satisfaction surveys conducted by consultancy firm Skytrax, with participants from 100 countries participating and 350 airlines featuring in the final results. Skytrax claims the awards are the world's largest airline satisfaction survey.
Skytrax's Edward Plaisted praised Qatar Airways, pointing to the airline's commitment to continue flying during the pandemic as a reason it continued to rank so highly.
"Qatar Airways was the largest airline to have flown consistently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with their network never falling below 30 destinations, and that determination has clearly been well recognised by customers with this award," he said.
Qatar Airways' QSuite business class was named the world's best.
But Qantas' strong standing, despite widely reported issues with its service this year, will further fuel questions over the validity of the awards.
Some aviation experts have questioned Skytrax's methodology and lack of transparency over its awards process. According to some reports, Skytrax has refused to answer questions over how its survey system works or even what the business actually does.
Among the other awards announced, Singapore Airlines took out the best cabin crew award (a category where all top 10 airlines were from Asia), while All Nippon Airways (ANA) won the award for cleanest cabins.
In the top 100 airlines ranking, Virgin Australia slipped to 43rd from 34th spot last year, while Jetstar dropped one spot to 57th from 56th.
Qantas won five awards in total - the award for best catering in premium economy class, along with four awards for the Australia/Pacific region: best airline, best business class, best economy class and best cabin cleanliness. Jetstar won best low-cost airline in Australia/Pacific.
Qatar Airways took out the award for best business class, while Emirates won best economy class.
The world's best airlines 2022
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Emirates
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Qantas Airways
- Japan Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
- Air France
- Korean Air
- Swiss Int'l Air Lines
- British Airways
- Etihad Airways
- China Southern
- Hainan Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Cathay Pacific
- KLM
- EVA Air
- Virgin Atlantic
- Vistara
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See also: The worst feeling: Why airlines downgrade some passengers
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