Air New Zealand crowned world’s best airline for 2018

Australians busy making their summer travel plans may need to alter their itineraries, with today’s announcement that Air New Zealand has just been named Airline of the Year for 2018 by safety and product rating website AirlineRatings.com.

The award was the fifth in a row for New Zealand’s national carrier, beating out over 400 other airlines around the world to take out the top gong.  

Airlines are rated on a number of criteria including passenger reviews, profitability and product offerings, with Air New Zealand praised by AirlineRatings.com’s six judges for its impressive in-flight entertainment and operational safety. 

“This award is testament to the huge effort from all of our people to deliver a world class Kiwi experience on the ground and in the air. It is extremely rewarding to see their hard work recognized by such an experienced panel of aviation judges,” said Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon.

“Air New Zealand is committed to redefining the customer experience and we are looking forward to unveiling many exciting new initiatives in 2018.”

In good news for Australian jetsetters both Qantas and Virgin Australia were named among the world’s top 10, with Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways and Japan Airlines among some of the other winners.

Qantas took home multiple awards for Best Domestic Airline Service, Best Catering and Best Lounges, while rival Virgin Australia won awards for Best Business Class.

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AirlineRatings.com Top 10 Airlines 2018 

While Air New Zealand took out the top prize, AirlineRatings.com doesn’t rank its top 10 winners in any particular order.  

  • Air New Zealand
  • All Nippon Airways
  • Cathay Pacific
  • Etihad Airways
  • Japan Airlines
  • Korean Air
  • Qantas
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Virgin Australia

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