The prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards have been announced, and there is a new top dog in the Australia/Pacific region.
For the first time ever, Fiji Airways has been named the best, ahead of Qantas and Air New Zealand.
The airline’s CEO André Viljoen celebrated the honour.
“We may not have as much resources as larger airlines, but we have the Fijian spirit of hospitality and care,” said Viljoen.
“As the National Airline, we embrace and champion these values in everything we do, and this sets us apart as an airline. The fact that these awards are determined purely on guest feedback makes our two accolades all the more special.”
TOURISM FIJI
For the first time ever, Fiji Airways has been named the best in the region, ahead of Air New Zealand and Qantas.
In the world rankings, Singapore Airlines returns to the top, replacing Qatar Airways, who drop to second.
Singapore Airline CEO Goh Choon Phong thanked passengers for their “enduring loyalty” and “affection” for the airline, adding: “During the pandemic, their support and encouragement gave us the strength and determination to overcome the unprecedented challenges.”
Elsewhere in the top five, ANA All Nippon Airways was third, Emirates fourth, and Japan Airlines in fifth position.
Fiji Airways was in 15th, up from 36 the year before, while Air New Zealand jumped to 19th from 30 in 2022. Qantas slid the other way however, going from fifth to 17th.
Jetstar took out the award for the Best Low-Cost Airline in Australia/Pacific.
Skytrax is based in the UK and is an airline and airport review and ranking site. It has been running the awards since 1999 and this year more than 325 airlines were included in the survey results.
In recent awards news, Air New Zealand’s new Skynest walked away with the top honour in the cabin design awards in the German city of Hamburg.
The national carrier won the Crystal Cabin Award for excellence in aircraft interior innovation.
In another airline survey, Air NZ was named the world’s best. Safety and product rating website AirlineRatings.com named it ahead of Qatar Airways. It is now the seventh time since 2013 that Air NZ has been named the best.
It was also named the“most attractive” employer in the country, according to Randstad research.
Skytrax best airlines for 2023 (last year’s rankings in brackets)
- Singapore Airlines (2)
- Qatar Airways (1)
- ANA All Nippon Airways (4)
- Emirates (3)
- Japan Airlines (6)
- Turkish Airlines (7)
- Air France (8)
- Cathay Pacific (16)
- EVA Air (18)
- Korean Air (9)
- Hainan Airlines (14)
- Swiss (10)
- Etihad Airways (12)
- Iberia (25)
- Fiji Airways (36)
- Vistara (20)
- Qantas Airways (5)
- British Airways (11)
- Air New Zealand (30)
- Delta Air Lines (24)
