US airlines not among the world’s best

A pair of siblings in the United States may have created the world’s first airplane and the most successful ever aircraft constructors may be the pride of Seattle, Washington, but U.S. airlines are no longer the poster boys for the aviation industry.

Not a single U.S. airline features in the World Airline Awards “Top 20 Airlines” announced this week at the Farnborough International Airshow.

The annual poll, based on surveys of nearly 19 million global passengers, is regarded as a key benchmarking tool for product excellence and customer satisfaction by the global airline industry. It covers over 245 airlines, from large international airlines to smaller domestic carriers.

A U.S. airline was even unable to win the Best Airline in North America award, which went to Air Canada.

JetBlue Airways, however, took seventh place in the award for the World’s Best Regional Airline.

The World’s Top 20 Airlines

  1. Cathay Pacific Airways
  2. Qatar Airways
  3. Singapore Airlines
  4. Emirates
  5. Turkish Airlines
  6. ANA All Nippon Airways
  7. Garuda Indonesia
  8. Asiana Airlines
  9. Etihad Airways
  10. Lufthansa
  11. Qantas Airways
  12. EVA Air
  13. Swiss
  14. Thai Airways
  15. Virgin Australia
  16. Air New Zealand
  17. British Airways
  18. Malaysia Airlines
  19. Hainan Airlines
  20. Bangkok Airways

Source: World Airline Awards