The best airline in the world. Top airlines in the world

What, first of all, does a passenger want from an air carrier? These are comfort, reliability and safety. Also, he will not refuse an acceptable level of service and, of course, will not mind the punctuality of the company's employees: hardly any of us will like long flight delays.

Based on these requests from airline customers, we have compiled a rating of the best Russian airlines, which is based on the expert assessment of several independent consulting agencies and the opinion of passengers who have already used the services of carriers.

TOP-10: Best Russian airlines rating for 2020

To make the rating the most truthful and versatile, we used mixed statistics in the article. Firstly, it is a direct survey of customers, and secondly, an assessment of experts. Employees of some consulting agencies, disguised as "secret passengers", on personal experience checked the level of service: the cost of tickets, the quality of food on board the aircraft, the general level of service and the time of delays on flights (if any). The total score was summarized by us in the "Overall rating" column of our table.

10th place. "Nordavia"

Regional carrier, based in Arkhangelsk. Specializes in transportation within Russian Federation, but there are also foreign flights - to Norway. Due to the specifics of the weather, in winter the number of flights is much less than in summer. The aircraft fleet is quite old, domestic aircraft are used to service close regional flights: AN-24

🛫 Where are the routes?

In the 14 largest Russian regional centers, also in Trems (Norway).

Departure without delay: 2.63

Food quality: 3.16

Onboard service level: 3.53

9th place. Red Wings Airlines

The company is one of the fifteen largest air carriers in Russia. It has been on the market for eighteen years, in 2009 it went through a rebranding, after which it is known as current name... It is considered one of the main tourist charter carriers. Most of the aircraft fleet is made up of domestic aircraft.

🛫 Where are the routes?

Foreign charter flights on the most popular tourist routes from Moscow, St. Petersburg and several other regional centers.

✅ Assessment issued by the agency "SKYTRAX"

Departure without delay: 3, 08

Power quality: 3.2

Onboard service level: 3.5

8th place. "Nordwind Airlines"

Another charter passenger carrier offering charter flights to Europe, Mediterranean countries and Asia. The aircraft fleet is based in Moscow and consists of 24 Airbus, Boeing aircraft. It actively renews and purchases new aircraft, some of which were purchased this year.

🛫 Where are the routes?

On tourist routes from Moscow: Europe, India, Thailand, the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt.

✅ Assessment issued by the agency "SKYTRAX"

Departure without delay: 3.46

Food quality: 2.97

Onboard service level: 3.65

7th place. "Utair"

A company with a partial foreign capital, specializing in air and helicopter transportation. The main ports of registration are in Tyumen and Moscow. It operates not only charter, but also regular flights: every day the company's liners make about three hundred flights. Over the past two years, more than 17 million passengers have been transported on its planes.

🛫 Where are the routes?

Domestic regional flights, foreign flights on tourist routes to the countries of Europe, Africa, Asia.

✅ Assessment issued by the agency "SKYTRAX"

Departure without delay: 3.32

Power quality: 3.18

Onboard service level: 3.83

6th place. Metrojet

The main activity of the air carrier is charter flights for most tourist routes European countries. Since 2012, he has been working closely with a major German travel company, therefore, the liners carry out part of their flights under the TUI brand.

🛫 Where are the routes?

EU countries (Spain, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Austria), also to Egypt and Turkey.

✅ Assessment issued by the agency "SKYTRAX"

Departure without delay: 3.88

Food quality: 3.69

Service level on board: 4.07

5th place. Aeroflot

The largest air carrier in Russia. The aircraft fleet reads almost 200 airliners, which includes aircraft of both domestic and foreign production. It is regularly updated with an average aircraft age of 4.3 years. Routes are laid in 51 countries of the world. The attitude of clients is rather negative, although, according to many consulting companies, the level of service is at an acceptable level.

🛫 Where are the routes?

Domestic regional routes to all regional centers, all European countries, most of Asia, to parts of Africa and America.

✅ Assessment issued by the agency "SKYTRAX"

Four stars is a very good indicator.

Departure without delay: 3.72

Food quality: 3.83

Service level on board: 3.89

The SKYTRAX rating is an objective assessment of airline services from a private, independent British company. Five-point rating - from one to five stars. Among hundreds of world companies, only a few have received 5 stars at the moment.

4th place. S7 Airlines

The former name of the company - Siberia, is engaged in regular and charter flights within Russia, and its liners also carry out regular international flights: routes are laid to 26 countries of the world. Over the past few years, it has been carrying more than 10 million passengers annually. The fleet consists of 70 aircraft, the average age of the liners is 10 years.

🛫 Where are the routes?

European countries, neighboring countries, Egypt, Turkey, Asian countries (China, Japan, South Korea)

✅ Assessment issued by the agency "SKYTRAX"

Departure without delay: 3.89

Food quality: 3.64

Onboard service level: 3.92

3rd place. "Russia"

A subsidiary of the Aeroflot company, based in St. Petersburg, from where the majority of the carrier's aircraft departures. Carries about 5 million passengers annually. Domestic flights have been organized around the country, there are also regular flights to European countries. The aircraft fleet consists of 62 liners, the average age is 13 years.

🛫 Where are the routes?

European countries (France, Germany), domestic flights to most regional centers of the country.

✅ Assessment issued by the agency "SKYTRAX"

Departure without delay: 4.02

Food quality: 3.46

Service level on board: 4.01

2nd place. Yamal

West Siberian air carrier with a fairly large fleet of 60 airliners. The main place of registration is Salekhard, the average age of the aircraft is 11 years. Operates on 42 routes, most of which are domestic. Also engaged in charter flights to the countries of Europe and the Mediterranean.

🛫 Where are the routes?

Regional centers of Russia, neighboring countries, Europe, UAE, Bangkok.

✅ Assessment issued by the agency "SKYTRAX"

Departure without delay: 3.88

Food quality: 4.02

Onboard service level: 4.16

1st place. "I-Fly"

The best charter carrier today according to passengers and experts. The port of registration of the aircraft fleet is Moscow. The main field of activity - charter transportation on tourist foreign routes... Cooperates with the travel company "TEZ-Tour".

🛫 Where are the routes?

Mediterranean countries, Spain, UAE, Asian countries (China, Thailand)

✅ Assessment issued by the agency "SKYTRAX"

Departure without delay: 4.19

Food quality: 3.81

Onboard service level: 4.06

Which airline is the best to use?

The final choice depends on your preferences. For example, if safety is first of all important to you, then try to choose companies using new airliners. Such, conventionally, can be considered any aircraft with the age of up to 12 years (after this period, they must undergo a mandatory overhaul). Also, do not forget that the smaller the company, the lower its financial turnover, therefore, they spend less money on the maintenance of aircraft. Additionally, before the final choice, do not be lazy and look at the statistics of accidents and incidents on the airline: these data can be found on many public Internet resources.

: is a UK-based consulting company that studies the quality of airline and airport services. The company annually compiles a rating of the top 100 airlines around the world, and being in it on the first line is like winning an Oscar in the world of air travel. The rating is based on a survey of passengers: it contains 50 points about all the details of the flight - from the convenience of the website and queues at the airport to the comfort of the seats, cleanliness and temperature on board. 20 million people of 105 different nationalities left their reviews, who expressed their opinions about 325 different airlines - so we think the result can be considered quite reliable.

On June 20, 2017, Skytrax announced the results: this year's best airline became Qatar Airways- they have won the award for the fourth time. The airline's triumph did not end there: they also became the best air carrier in the Middle East. They also officially have the world's best business class and first class lounge. Singapore Airlines ranks second and is also the best airline in Asia. Lufthansa, Austrian and Air France... Garuda Indonesia won the best. In a separate rating for European airlines, Lufthansa is in first place (Russian Aeroflot entered the top ten), and the best European low-cost airline is Norwegian. You can study the entire rating by all criteria in detail.

By the way, there is stillairport rating : you can learn where to come, even if you don't need anything in the nearest city, or, conversely,

Skytrax named the World's Best Airlines of 2017 and honored the winners at the World Airline Awards at the Paris Air Show.

Skytrax is a UK-based independent survey agency that polls 320 airlines worldwide. It is on the basis of these polls that she names the winners.

Skytrax surveys are independent and incorruptible.

Rating of the best airlines in the world 2017

1 Qatar Airways
2 Singapore Airlines
3 ANA All Nippon Airways
4 Emirates
5 Cathay Pacific
6 EVA Air
7 Lufthansa
8 Etihad airways
9 Hainan Airlines
10 Garuda Indonesia
11 Thai Airways
12 Turkish Airlines
13 Virgin Australia
14 Swiss Int'l Air Lines
15 Qantas airways
16 Japan Airlines
17 Austrian
18 Air France
19 Air New Zealand
20 Asiana Airlines
21 Bangkok Airways
22 KLM
23 China Southern
24 Hong Kong Airlines
25 Finnair
26 AirAsia
27 Cathay Dragon
28 Norwegian
29 Air Canada
30 Aeroflot
31 Malaysia Airlines
32 Delta Air Lines
33 Virgin Atlantic
34 Korean air
35 China Airlines
36 Alaska Airlines
37 Aegean Airlines
38 Aer Lingus
39 jetBlue Airways
40 British Airways
41 easyJet
42 Iberia
43 Virgin America
44 Jetstar Airways
45 AirAsiaX
46 Air Astana
47 Vietnam Airlines
48 Ethiopian Airlines
49 South African Airways
50 Avianca
51 Saudi Arabian Airlines
52 Azul Brazilian
53 Oman Air
54 Southwest Airlines
55 Porter Airlines
56 SilkAir
57 Indigo
58 WestJet
59 LATAM
60 Scoot
61 Jetstar Asia
62 TAP Air Portugal
63 Alitalia
64 Eurowings
65 SAS Scandinavian
66 Thomson Airways
67 Philippine Airlines
68 Brussels Airlines
69 Copa Airlines
70 Air Transat
71 Azerbaijan Airlines
72 China Eastern
73 Jet Airways
74 American Airlines
75 Fiji Airways
76 Ryanair
77 Air Mauritius
78 United Airlines
79 LOT Polish
80 Air Seychelles
81 SriLankan Airlines
82 Icelandair
83 Juneyao Airlines
84 Gulf Air
85 Air Berlin
86 Hawaiian Airlines
87 American Eagle Airlines
88 Vueling
89 Air Nostrum
90 Tigerair
91 Kenya Airways
92 Royal Brunei Airlines
93 Air Malta
94 Xiamen Airlines
95 S7 Airlines
96 Peach
97 Royal Air Maroc
98 Air China
99 Air Canada rouge
100 Aeromexico.

International airlines do not get tired of improving their service, trying to win the first positions. Passengers are not impressed by the “best of the best”: chairs with massagers, menus from chefs, the opportunity to learn the weather from robots, and even babysitting services for children. Qatar Airways is renowned for its superior Business Class and First Class Lounge. Lufthansa stands out among European air carriers. And the main thing is that each airline has its own "face" and its own philosophy. In this review, we have collected - the top 10.

10. Garuda Indonesia

Garuda Indonesia, which has been operating since 1947, opens the ranking of the best airlines in the world. Unusual name associated with the mythical bird of the god Vishnu - Garuda (symbol of Indonesia). The airline carries passengers to 12 countries of the world. Customers celebrate high level cleanliness and friendly service. The headquarters of the Indonesian airline is located in the capital's Soekarno-Hatta airport. There are private lounges where you can have a snack and connect to the Internet.

Lufthansa is Germany's national carrier and one of the largest and best airlines in the world. It has been operating since 1926 and owns the world's second largest fleet of 700 aircraft. The airline's route network is also quite wide - 410 points where flights are carried out (Europe, Asia, Africa, America).

Clients can take advantage of one of three classes: first, business and economy. There are a number of promotions and additional services... For corporate clients - "Star Alliance Company Plus", for private passengers - "Star Alliance". Lufthansa was honored in 1997 by inviting it to the prestigious StarAlliance.

Qantas Airways is one of Australia's finest airlines and has been nicknamed the Flying Kangaroo. It is one of the oldest in the world (founded in the 1920s), second only to KLM and Avianca. Qantas Airways began with air travel. Today the company is based in Sydney and ranks second among Australian carriers (ahead of KLM). The average age of the aircraft is 10 years. The route is laid in 140 cities. Qantas Airways is considered one of the safest airlines in the world. The planes are equipped with video and audio systems for the entertainment of customers. An interesting service for passengers is the opportunity to taste the dish of the country where they are going.

EVA Air is a Taiwanese airline established in the 80s. Located at Tai'an Taoyuan Airport and carries out domestic and international flights... EVA Air destinations include Asia, Europe, North Africa and Australia (about 70 destinations). It is Taiwan's second largest airline.

EVA Air has implemented robotic customer service at Taoyuan and Songshan airports. After scanning the coupon, the robot Robert can talk to the client - provide data on departure, weather, promotions and company bonuses. You can dance with the robot, take pictures or play games. It is also interesting that on some planes the airline employees fly in livery, on which images of cartoon characters are applied. For example, Hello Kitty.

EVA Air aircraft provide 3 service classes: economy, premium economy and business. Flight safety is also worth noting - EVA Air aircraft were not involved in major accidents.

One of the most popular airlines in the world, Turkish Airlines began operating in 1933 and is based in Istanbul. At first it was a national carrier, but today 49% of the shares are owned by the state and 51% by private owners. There are two service options to choose from: economy and business. The geography of the routes covers 220 foreign airports in Europe, America, Asia and Africa (80 countries in total). The company has the youngest aircraft fleet with an average age of 3.5 years. During the flight, passengers are offered snacks, Turkish meze and dessert. Turkish Airlines is focused on medium-haul flights.

5. Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways is in the middle of the ranking of the world's airlines. it national company UAE, operating since 2003. It was created by decree of the sheikh. The headquarters is located in Abu Dhabi. In just 5 years of existence, Etihad Airways has increased the number of passengers by 6 million. It is the fastest growing airline in the world, which was facilitated by the Skytrax award: in 2016 the airline was awarded for first class quality (including in-flight meals and seats).

The name Etihad Airways means union, meaning the relationship between passengers and the airline. The Arabian understanding of luxury is reflected in the comfort during travel: in the first class - a two-meter chair-bed and a chef, in economy - a touch screen and three dishes to choose from. During long trips, they give out a travel kit (socks, toothpaste and a brush, earplugs, a sleep mask). Passengers with children can order babysitting services.

4. Cathay Pacific

Hong Kong airline that flies to 51 countries (200 routes) in Asia, Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Cathay Pacific is one of six carriers to be ranked high in the Skytrax rating (5 stars). The airline has been operating since 1946 - it was opened former pilots Air Force, American and Australian. Cathay Pacific first based in Shanghai, then moved to Hong Kong. Air park includes more than 90 aircraft (average age is 10 years). Entertainment for passengers includes cinema, music, magazines, and an air boutique. On long flights passengers are offered a night sleep kit.

Singapore Airlines unveils top three airlines in the world. It has been operating since 1947 and provides services for flights to 35 countries (more than 60 cities). Changi Airport (Singapore) is the base. If the passenger transits through it, they will be offered a free two-hour tour. Singapore Airlines is guided by the philosophy that the passenger should receive the maximum comfortable rest aboard. Even economy class passengers will appreciate the high level of comfort during the flight: plenty of legroom, multimedia, monitors. You can use the internet or watch a movie. The airline has more than a hundred aircraft in its fleet, but not a single aircraft has been in operation for more than five years.

Qatar Airways is ranked 2nd in the list of the best airlines in the world. It is the national airline of Qatar and is headquartered in Doha. Flights are carried out to five continents - more than 130 destinations (all international). The average age of the aircraft is 5 years. In 2017, Qatar Airways launched the most long flight in the world - from Qatar to New Zealand.

According to the British resource Skytrax, Qatar Airways is a 5-star airline. Passengers are accommodated in wide seats with massage function. Everyone has their own blanket, pillow and headphones. There is an entertainment center with the ability to watch movies, listen to music and use the Internet.

Qatar Airways customers celebrate the variety of menus: rice, stews, salads, sandwiches. Transit passengers are offered to spend time not at the airport, but at the hotel - the airline helps to issue a temporary visa and provides a transfer (the service can be paid or free).

Emirates Airline tops our ranking of the top 10 "best airlines in the world". The company was founded in the 80s in Dubai to develop tourism in the UAE. Emirates Airline's 250 aircraft fleet is one of the youngest in the world. The average transport age is 5.6 years.

The airline positions itself as a global carrier, making regular flights to all continents of the planet. From the base airport "Dubai" you can fly to 140 cities. Emirates Airline is ranked first in terms of total international flights.

Emirates Airline does not forget about the quality of service. Most aircraft are equipped with entertainment centers: you can watch a movie, listen to music, play a game or follow interactive map flight. Passengers with children are also taken care of: little ones can watch takeoff and landing through the eyes of a pilot thanks to the Airshow channel, and parents with babies are given an essential kit with hygiene products.

Summing up the results of 2017, the Federal Agency air transport published brief statistics of work civil aviation RF. The whole picture for the participants rating of Russian airlines in 2018 looks good. The air transportation market continues to develop, and almost all reliable Russian airlines included in the list showed an average increase in the number of passengers and kilometers flown by 15%. At the same time, the weight of the top five airlines continues to grow. If in 2017 they occupied 67.4% of the total volume, then in 2018 it is already 85%.

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Read also:, Skytrax's Best Air Carriers of the Year.

Opens the ranking of the most major airlines Russian Nordwind Airlines, aka " North wind". Over the past year, the number of passengers amounted to 3.5 million people and compared to 2016 increased by 95%. Passenger turnover also showed growth, increasing by 44%.

One of the largest charter carriers in Russia, which carried more than 2.2 million passengers in 2017, was summoned to the carpet by the Federal Air Transport Agency in the summer of 2016 due to constant long delays of flights up to several tens of hours. The carrier promised to take action. In case of inability to establish regular flights to exact time the company is threatened with restrictions on transportation.

Azur Air was a subsidiary of UTair, but two years ago set off on an independent voyage. In 2017, the number of passengers of the company amounted to 3.6 million people, almost 2/3 more compared to 2016.

Globus is part of the S7 Group, being a subsidiary of the Siberian aviation giant, which took second place in the ranking of the best airlines. 2017 turned out to be favorable for the company - the number of passengers increased by 20.2%, amounting to 4.1 million people.

A subsidiary of Aeroflot, which took over from Dobrolet, which died as a result of the UES sanctions, is positioned as a budget company. Although the first tickets for flights of the new airline were sold only two years ago, it confidently entered the top 10 airlines in Russia.

The number of passengers in 2017 amounted to 4.3 million people, an increase of 5% compared to 2016. Despite his youth, the flights of "Victory" have already become overgrown with scandals. User dissatisfaction is caused by the policy of hiding the real price for the flight, demands to pay for the opportunity to sit with families, flight delays and cases when tickets for a flight are sold more than the number of seats.

In the fifth place in the rating of Russian airlines in 2018 are " Ural Airlines”, Which transported 7.5 million people in 2017, showing an increase of 25%. In the meantime, the company is demanding from the Federal Air Transport Agency to pay for the transportation of veterans of the Great Patriotic War to celebrate the anniversary of the Victory in 2015. The Federal Air Transport Agency rejected the application for payment, finding fault with the fact that it lacks the words "including VAT" and other points of the same degree of importance.

The owner of the world's largest operating helicopter fleet appears to have recovered from the crisis of late 2014. In 2017, the number of passengers carried by this company amounted to 6.8 million, an increase of 9.1% compared to 2016.

The second subsidiary of the giant Aeroflot, which made it into the top ten of the Russian airlines in 2018, carried more than 10.6 million people last year, demonstrating an impressive 41.5% passenger growth - the highest among the participating airlines. At the same time, the passenger turnover indicator increased by 55.3%.

In second place in the rating of the largest airlines in Russia is Siberia, aka S7 Airlines, which carries out flights to 83 destinations both in Russia and abroad. Most of the latter, however, are served by partner airlines. In total, 9.3 million passengers were transported in 2017.

The Russians continue to fly with Aeroflot planes. In 2017, the company transported more than 30.5 million people, more than 3 times ahead of the second-ranked Siberia by this indicator. It is not surprising, since Aeroflot is the largest and oldest Russian airline which has been carrying passengers since 1923. Although the company was included in the black sanctions list of Ukraine, this does not prevent an increase in the number of traffic.

According to such criteria as the number of passengers and passenger turnover, the company recorded an increase of 12% over the past year. By the way, Aeroflot can also be called one of the safest airlines in Russia in 2018- not a single major plane crash occurred on its lines, counting, of course, subsidiaries and accidents caused by the actions of third parties. In the airline safety rating published in 2017 by the audit company JACDEC, Aeroflot is in 37th place.

2017 World Airlines Safety Rating (JACDEC)