Cathay Pacific Tops World’s Top 10 Airlines; China Airlines and EVA Air Rank 2nd and 3rd

▲Cathay Pacific won the top spot in The Design Air’s Passenger-Voted Top 10 Airlines ranking. (Photo/Cathay Pacific)

Reported by Chen Rui-Zhong / Taipei

To help travelers gain a deeper understanding of various airlines before booking flights, many magazines and review websites rank global carriers. The international website The Design Air recently released“2015 Passenger-Voted Top 10 Airlines”, which includesChina Airlines,EVA Airand other Taiwanese airlines all made the list, with Cathay Pacific taking the first place.

TheDesignAir was founded in April 2012 by a senior aviation brand consultantJonny Clarkin the United States. Its reviews focus onairline cabin design and overall brand, and are frequently featured in aviation industry publications and international media. The inaugural award event saw a judging panel composed of aviation experts, industry analysts, and other specialists conduct the preliminary selection, evaluating business class cabins, special livery aircraft, and other designs from an industrial aesthetics perspective, followed by a passenger vote for their favorite airlines.

▲China Airlines’ recent next-generation initiative, which includes updates to flight attendant uniforms and aircraft software and hardware, earned praise from the judges.

According to The Design Air’s rankings, the top three are Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, and EVA Air. Other airlines in the 4th to 10th positions include Singapore Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Qantas, ANA, Emirates, and Air New Zealand.

The champion,Cathay Pacific,was recognized by The Design Air for its outstanding first class and business class offerings, as well as its beautifully designed new premium lounges. The airline also excels in using social media and marketing strategies to truly connect with passengers.

▲EVA Air’s Hello Kitty aircraft are highly popular among passengers. (Photo/EVA Air)

On the website, The Design Air frankly stated that it was “surprised” to seeChina Airlinesranked so high. However, perhaps due to China Airlines’ next-generation plan launched in the past 18 months — which includes new uniforms, in-flight software and hardware, aircraft, and lounges — the judges were impressed by the airline’s progress. China Airlines also mentioned that its 777-300ER new aircraft feature a cabin design that blends Eastern aesthetics with modern technology, delivering a fresh flying experience.

Additionally,EVA Airnot only offers excellent international services and premium economy class, but The Design Air also speculates that the airline’s popularity is boosted by its Hello Kitty livery aircraft.

Aside from The Design Air, another airline industry authority, Skytrax, also released its global airline rankings in June this year. Among the airlines listed in The Design Air’s top 10, including Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways, Qantas, ANA, and Emirates, all also appeared in the top 10 of the Skytrax rankings. However, Qatar Airways, which topped the 2015 Skytrax rankings, along with Turkish Airlines (4th) and Garuda Indonesia (8th), did not make The Design Air’s top 10.

The Design Air 2015 Passenger-Voted Top 10 Airlines (Skytrax 2015 rankings in parentheses)
1. Cathay Pacific (3)
2. China Airlines (52)
3. EVA Air (9)
4. Singapore Airlines (2)
5. Hawaiian Airlines (82)
6. Etihad Airways (6)
7. Qantas (10)
8. ANA (7)
9. Emirates (5)
10. Air New Zealand (17)

%On the next-generation plan, a brand-new design has been implemented for 777-300ER aircraft. (Photo / Provided by China Airlines)

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