Qatar Airways has been named the Best Airline in the World for 2015 by leading aviation consumer website Skytrax.
The Gulf-based carrier was presented with the honor at an award ceremony on Tuesday at the 2015 Paris Air Show.
"I am honored to lead a company that has paved such an accomplished path to excellence, and innovation, demonstrating the team's unwavering pride in their work and the experience provided to each of our passengers," Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker said in a statement.
"Becoming an award-winning airline takes dedication and passion— and retaining such a ranking takes commitment, which I thank each and every team member at Qatar Airways for."
The Skytrax rankings are based on the impression of 18.9 million travelers from 105 different countries. The survey, which covered more than 245 airlines, measured 41 different parameters ranging from boarding procedures to seat comfort to the quality of service.
Here are the 20 best airlines in the world according to the result of the Skytrax survey.
20. British Airways
Previous rank: 17
Why it's awesome: Although British Airways didn't take home any superlatives at the award show, the airline cracked the top 20 list by putting in a solid performance. Skytrax reviewers gave BA consistent middle of the road ratings across the board for value, inflight entertainment, staff service, and seat comfort.
See additional airline information at Skytrax
19. Thai Airways
Previous rank: 14
Why it's awesome: Thai Airways has long been an industry leader for quality service. So it's no surprise to find the Thai national carrier so high up on the list. Though its most heralded products are its business and first-class services, fliers found their economy seats to be of high quality, as well.
Economy fliers on Skytrax also noted the crew's friendly demeanor and delectable dining options. However, some customers found the lack of seat-back-mounted personal entertainment displays on some of the fleet's older Airbus and Boeing jets to be disappointing.
See additional airline information at Skytrax
18. Dragonair
Previous rank: 28
Why it's awesome: Dragonair is Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific's regional subsidiary and is the only regional airline to crack the top 20. In fact, Skytrax named Dragonair the World's Best Regional Airline — an honor the airline also held in 2010 and 2011.
See additional airline information at Skytrax
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