Air New Zealand is the world’s best airline in 2023 according to Airline Ratings, an aviation safety and product rating website.
The Kiwi airline knocks Qatar Airways off the top spot, moving the Gulf airline into second place after two years at number one.
Lauded for its operational safety, commitment to making flying more sustainable and its friendly staff, Air New Zealand takes the crowning rank for the seventh time.
The airline also wins praise for its in-flight innovations, in particular its Skynest economy bunk-beds. Set to be rolled out on ultra-long-haul flights from September next year, these sleep pods will be the world’s first three-storey, lie-flat bunk-beds on a commercial airline.
“Like all airlines across the globe Air New Zealand has faced severe disruptions during and after the pandemic and this year huge challenges from storms and cyclones. The airline has responded well. Our editorial team was impressed by the airline’s commitment to the economy passenger and on long haul offers more comfort options than any other airline,” said Airline Ratings editor-in-chief, Geoffrey Thomas.
Second placed Qatar Airways may have slipped off the top spot in the overall rankings, but the Gulf carrier retains its position as the airline with the best business class service for the fourth-year running. It also takes the award for the best in-flight catering.
Etihad Airways holds strong to its third placed ranking from last year. The national airline of the UAE has been commended for its commitment to making flying greener, which is a benchmark for the aviation industry, according to Thomas.
“Etihad Airways has demonstrated its leadership in the push for sustainable flight with its Greenliner Boeing 787 programme and last year with its Sustainability 50, A350 aircraft.
“In every aspect, Etihad Airways staff and management are committed to reducing the airline’s CO2 footprint and it shows. The rallying phrase is ‘a million things count’ in reducing emissions and thus the focus is all-consuming. The airline’s Sustainability Report 2021-2022 demonstrates the potential advancements to be made in sustainable aviation by a wide range of initiatives, co-ordinated to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in emissions intensity in its passenger fleet by 2025, to cut 2019 net emissions by 50 per cent by 2035, and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.”
Korean Airlines and Singapore Airlines round out the top five best airlines in the world list in 2023, with Singapore also taking home the award for having the world's best first class cabins.
Emirates ranks in tenth place, an improvement on the Dubai airline's performance last year when it listed at number 16.
The airline – which has just announced Hollywood A-lister Penelope Cruz as its newest ambassador – wins awards for the world’s best in-flight entertainment, and the top premium economy cabins – a service that Emirates officially rolled out on selected routes in August last year.
And when it comes to the airline with the friendliest crew, Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic scoops the award, while Australia’s Qantas is named the airline with the best lounges for travellers.
Top 20 airlines in the world in 2023 – full list
1. Air New Zealand
2. Qatar Airways
3. Etihad Airways
4. Korean Air
5. Singapore Airlines
6. Qantas
7. Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic
8. EVA Air
9. Cathay Pacific Airways
10. Emirates
11. Lufthansa / Swiss
12. SAS
13. TAP Portugal
14. All Nippon Airways
15. Delta Air Lines
16. Air Canada
17. British Airways
18. Jet Blue
19. JAL
20. Vietnam Airlines
UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
RESULTS
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Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
- Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
- Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Suarez 27', Vidal 32', Dembele 35', Messi 78')
Sevilla 0
Red cards: Ronald Araujo, Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
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