Latest news with #IATA
Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Top 10 best airlines in the world: See if any Indian airline makes the cut
Top 10 best airlines in the world: Choosing the right airline can have a real impact on your travel experience, especially on long-haul international flights where comfort, timeliness, and good service is more than just desirable; it is essential. From legroom and service to inflight meals and entertainment, the difference between a good flight and a great one can be vast. That's where the Skytrax World Airline Awards – often dubbed the 'Oscars of the aviation industry' – come in. Based on millions of passenger reviews across categories, they offer one of the most respected barometers of excellence in the skies. In the 2025 edition, the rankings reflect how fiercely global airlines are competing not just to raise standards but to distinguish themselves regionally and experientially. Whether you're a frequent flyer or an occasional traveller, knowing who is leading the way can help you make travel decisions, Unsurprisingly, Qatar Airways continues its reign with a record-breaking ninth title as the World's Best Airline—more than any other airline in Skytrax history. It leads a mix of legacy giants and regional heavyweights that are pushing the boundaries of comfort, innovation and sustainability. While no Indian airline made it to the global top 10 this year, the competition makes clear what it takes to be world-class—from elevated design and service to eco-conscious operations. Source: Skytrax World Airline Awards At the 2025 Skytrax Awards, Qatar Airways has been awarded 'World's Best Airline', reconfirming its position as a world leader. Based in Doha, Qatar Airways continues to provide luxury and world-class service to more than 170 destinations. As of this year, it has become the first Middle Eastern airline to receive the highest level of certification with IATA's Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme. Singapore Airlines, ranked the world's second-largest airline, has unveiled a revamped A380 cabin as part of an $850 million upgrade. Known for flying some of the world's most advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft, its fleet includes the Airbus A350, A380, and Boeing 777-300ER. Cathay Pacific, headquartered in Hong Kong and part of the Swire Group, was voted the third best airline in the 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards. The airline won the award for 'World's Best Economy Class Airline,' as well as AIrbis' 'Best Inflight Entertainment in the world'. With three, two Michelin starred, dining, refreshed cabins, and fleet-wide connectivity, Emirates, based in Dubai as part of The Emirates Group, is one of the largest airlines in the world, servicing cities across six continents. It has a reputation for comfortable cabins and reliable service, and it is also advancing sustainable practices by way of measures to reduce emissions, improve fuel efficiency, and aid in wildlife conservation. All Nippon Airways (ANA), based in Minato City, Tokyo, is a leading global carrier under ANA Holdings Inc. Known for its outstanding service and consistent top-tier rankings, ANA operates flights to 42 international cities and about 50 domestic locations across Japan. Established in 1933, Turkish Airlines has become a major global airline with services to 130 countries and a fleet size of over 480 aircraft. Almost 50 percent state owned, Turkish Airlines has built a stalwart reputation for great service, competitive pricing, fabulous catering and entertainment. Turkish Airlines was recognized as the Best Airline in Europe by the Skytrax World Airline Awards in 2025. Korean Air is ranked seventh in the 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards and is gaining its global footprint as part of the Hanjin Group based in Seoul. After its merger with Asiana Airlines, the airline will expand its authority as a full-service provider in Asia. The airline also emphasizes sustainability with its GREEN SKYPASS program. Loyalty members are able to begin supporting carbon neutrality by further developing eco-friendly forests. Air France has moved up to eighth place in the 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards, improving on last year's ninth spot. Part of the Air France-KLM Group, the airline has now held the title of Best Airline in Western Europe for five straight years, thanks to its top-tier First Class and refined lounge experience. Backed by strong global ties and a wide-reaching network, it remains a key player in international aviation. Japan Airlines, part of the JAL Group, has earned its spot among the world's top airlines, consistently praised for its spotless cabins, reliable punctuality, and refined in-flight service. With a 5-Star Skytrax rating for eight years running and the launch of the A350-1000, the airline continues to set high standards across global and domestic routes. Hainan Airlines, known for its exceptional service and recognition from the Skytrax World Airline Awards, rounds off the world's top 10 largest airlines. With the recent addition of its first Airbus A321neo, the carrier is strengthening its international and regional reach. Backed by a solid safety record and over 1,700 routes, it remains a major force in China's expanding global aviation footprint.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Air India crash rekindles debate over cockpit video recorders
Early probe into the Air India 787 crash reignited calls for cockpit cameras after a report hinted pilot had cut engine fuel seconds after takeoff. (AFP pic) SEATTLE : The deadly Air India crash last month has renewed a decades-old debate in the aviation industry over installing video cameras monitoring airline pilot actions to complement the cockpit voice and flight data recorders already used by accident investigators. One of the industry's most influential voices, International Air Transport Association head Willie Walsh, a former airline pilot, said on Wednesday in Singapore there was a strong argument for video cameras to be installed in airliner cockpits to monitor pilot actions to complement voice and flight data recorders already used by accident investigators. Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787's engines seconds after takeoff, leading to an irrecoverable situation. The crash in Ahmedabad, India, killed 241 of the 242 people aboard, as well as 19 people on the ground. As of now, 'based on what little we know now, it's quite possible that a video recording, in addition to the voice recording would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation on the issue of mental health,' Walsh said. Advocates for cockpit video cameras say the footage could fill in gaps left by the audio and data recorders, while opponents say concerns about privacy and misuse outweigh what they argue are marginal benefits for investigations. Video footage was 'invaluable' to Australian crash investigators determining what led to Robinson R66 helicopter breaking up in mid-air in 2023, killing the pilot, the only person aboard, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report, which was released 18 days after the Air India crash. The video showed 'the pilot was occupied with non-flying related tasks for much of this time, specifically, mobile phone use and the consumption of food and beverages,' the report said. The ATSB commended Robinson Helicopters for providing factory-installed cameras and said it encouraged other manufacturers and owners to consider the ongoing safety benefits of similar devices. In 2000, US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chairman Jim Hall urged the Federal Aviation Administration to require commercial airliners be equipped with cockpit image recorders. Hall's recommendation came in the wake of 1999's Egyptair Flight 990 crash, when the first officer intentionally crashed the Boeing 767, according to the NTSB, killing all 217 people on board. 'In the balance between privacy and safety, the scale tips toward safety, unequivocally,' air safety expert and former commercial airline pilot John Nance said. 'Protecting the flying public is a sacred obligation.' Another aviation safety expert, Anthony Brickhouse, said that as an accident investigator, he is in favour of cockpit video, but acknowledged that commercial pilots have real concerns. Video on Air India flight 171 'would have answered lots of questions,' he said. Air India declined to comment. India's AAIB, which is expected to release a final report within a year of the crash under international rules, did not reply to request for comment. Pilot objections US pilots' unions such as the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and Allied Pilots Association (APA) say the voice and data recorders already provide enough information to determine the cause of a crash and that the cameras would be an invasion of privacy and could be misused. Calls for cockpit cameras are an understandable reaction to 'the stress of not knowing what happened immediately after an accident,' said APA spokesperson Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines pilot. 'I can understand the initial reaction of the more information, the better,' but investigators already have enough data to adequately determine an accident's cause, leaving no need for cameras, he said. To make flying safer, current safety systems should be enhanced to record higher-quality data, rather than adding video cameras, an ALPA spokeperson said. There are also concerns the footage could be used by airlines for disciplinary actions or that video could be leaked to the public after a crash, said John Cox, an aviation safety expert, retired airline pilot and former ALPA executive air safety chairman. A pilot's death being broadcast on 'the 6 o'clock news is not something that the pilot's family should ever have to go through,' he said. If confidentiality can be assured around the world, 'I can see an argument' for installing cameras, Cox said. Cockpit voice recordings are typically kept confidential by investigators in favour of partial or full transcripts being released in final reports. Despite that, International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations said it was skeptical that confidentiality could ever be assured for cockpit videos. 'Given the high demand for sensational pictures, IFALPA has absolutely no doubt that the protection of (airborne image recorder) data, which can include identifiable images of flight crewmembers, would not be ensured either,' the organization said in a statement. Boeing declined to disclose whether customers are able to order cockpit video recorders, while Airbus did not reply to request for comment.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
I lost $1000 after carrying a product I was assured was travel friendly
As a frequent traveller and travel journalist, I feel I have mastered the art of travelling. I'm no stranger to carry-on restrictions or security screenings, and I've got packing my bags down to a fine art. Travelling with expensive camera gear means I ensure it is safely packed in carry-on, and I even take the batteries out for easy inspection. I'm so used to it, I like to think of myself as a pro-packer. The latest backpack that fits all you need, I have it. Suitcases that roll so easily they could walk themselves, I'm taking it. From the latest travel gadgets to make life on the move easier, such as pocket power banks, to water bottles that purify water, and even reversible jeans that give you extra outfit options in one, I have them all. For me, it's all about convenience, comfort and minimising weight (because no one likes lugging around bags when travelling). So, when I saw ghd offered a cordless hair straightener that promised to be 'Flight Friendly', I was sold. No longer would my wild hair that turns into a bird's nest at the mere whisper of the word humidity be an issue while travelling. I could whip out my compact, travel-friendly hair straightener and slick that unruly hair back down where it belonged. It was sleek, compact, and sold with promises of 'hybrid co-lithium technology' and 'flight-friendly' status in line with IATA guidelines on carriage of portable electronic devices. Additionally, it fully charges in just two hours and comes with a heat-resistant case for safe storage. And all for a starting price of $475 AUD. It was in my cart and purchased faster than I could say ghd. Perfect! I tried it out at home first, and it did everything it promised. So, it was the first thing I packed in my checked-in bag ahead of my trip to New Zealand. I used it daily throughout my week-long adventures around Northland, and when it came time to fly home to Brisbane from Auckland, I had it packed safely in my checked-in bag again. This is where my lesson in lithium batteries, international regulations – and why even 'flight-friendly' doesn't always mean airline-approved – began. I returned home to Brisbane and discovered a note in my suitcase from the New Zealand Aviation Security Service, saying they had 'confirmed the inspected item was unsuitable for air carriage and the item was removed', listing 1 ghd Hair Straightener. I was devastated, not only at the loss of a $475 personal item (gulp), but also that I'd lost my handy travel companion. Undeterred (and still committed to good hair days on the road), I replaced the confiscated unit with the same model before a trip to Japan. This time, I decided to follow what I believed were IATA-aligned guidelines more closely and packed it in my carry-on bag. Departing Australia, there was no issue. The straightener passed through security at Brisbane Airport, and I used it during my stay in Tokyo without trouble. But when I went to fly from Haneda to Sapporo, I was stopped at screening. The ghd straightener was swiftly and unapologetically confiscated. Two hair straighteners down and a day into Hokkaido's 40-degree summer heat with a frizzy mass of hair, I decided to go sleuth on the subject of 'what can and cannot be taken on a flight'. According to the Aviation Security Service (AvSec) website, they now prohibit certain cordless hair straighteners from being packed in either carry-on or checked baggage — unless they meet specific safety conditions. Under the new guidelines, cordless styling tools without a flight-safe mode — such as the ghd Unplugged — are no longer allowed on flights from New Zealand. The issue stems from their battery configuration. If a device doesn't have a way to disconnect the heating element from the battery (either via a removable battery or a flight-safe tag), it poses a potential fire hazard. By contrast, devices like the Dyson Corrale, which include a flight mode that isolates the battery, are permitted on board — provided the flight-safe tag is removed before travel. Standard plug-in hair straighteners powered by mains electricity are unaffected by the changes and can continue to travel in both checked and carry-on luggage. It seems several other airports are following suit, with these updated policies focusing on the fire risk posed by battery-powered heating devices. Many airlines and airport security agencies have strict and varying rules around battery-powered devices, particularly those containing lithium-ion or lithium-metal batteries, due to fire risk. Even if the device is powered off, certain types of lithium batteries are not allowed in checked baggage at all. And in carry-on luggage, regulations can differ by country and even by airport. When I put my recent experience to ghd customer care, while they were 'sorry' for my experience, the decision whether the device can be taken on board or not 'rests with individual airlines and airport authorities, whose policies may vary.' 'The ghd unplugged fully complies with IATA guidelines for portable electronic devices,' the statement read. 'As you've experienced, some security teams may confiscate devices containing non-removable lithium batteries despite compliance. Unfortunately, this is outside ghd's control. As outlined in the safety guidelines included in the packaging, we recommend contacting your airline prior to travel for advice on how to carry your ghd unplugged.' What this experience taught me is that 'flight-friendly' doesn't mean universally accepted. Even if a brand markets a device as compliant with international air travel guidelines, interpretation of those rules can vary dramatically between countries — and airport security has the final say. Had I known, I likely would've saved myself the cost of two cordless straighteners and the inconvenience of dealing with inconsistent enforcement. For travellers who rely on styling tools, consider packing a corded straightener or one with removable batteries instead. And always check your airline's dangerous goods information page before packing. Because the only thing worse than a bad hair day … is losing your favourite straightener to airport security, twice.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
IATA DG Praises AAIB's Detailed Preliminary Report on Air India Plane Crash, ETTravelWorld
Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETTravelWorld industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETTravelWorld App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau 's ( AAIB ) preliminary report on the Air India plane crash contains more information than most people were expecting, which is helpful, global airlines' grouping IATA on International Air Transport Association (IATA) is a grouping of around 340 airlines, including Air an event in Singapore on Wednesday, IATA Director General Willie Walsh, who is also a pilot, said aircraft accident investigators should be allowed time to conduct investigations properly and it is also important for the industry that the reports are published in a timely manner."I commend the Indian government and the AAIB for the release of the preliminary report, which I think contained more information than most people were expecting, which was helpful... I think all airlines and all aviation professionals will now await the publication of the final report, which I'm sure will go into significantly more detail," he also noted that he is very pleased that the Indian government and the AAIB issued the preliminary report on released the preliminary report into the crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft that killed 260 people on June the report published 30 days after the accident, AAIB said the fuel switches to the engines of the aircraft were cut off within a gap of 1 second immediately after takeoff and caused confusion in the cockpit before the plane crashed into a said that while no formal recommendations were made by AAIB to Boeing or to engine manufacturer GE, some airlines have taken it upon themselves to check the fuel cutoff switches. "I think it is a sensible thing to do in the circumstances".While the initial report does not provide any conclusions, there are speculations in certain quarters that a possible pilot error could be a reason for the crash. Such a proposition has been strongly rejected by various pilot to him, the airline industry has always been very open in sharing information."We believe that any accident or any major incident that takes place needs to be investigated fully, properly, and reported so that everybody can benefit from the experience. And I think, you know, based on what little we know now, it's quite possible that, you know, a video recording in addition to the voice recording would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation," he added.
CNN
3 days ago
- CNN
Air India crash rekindles debate over cockpit video recorders
The deadly Air India crash last month has renewed a decades-old debate in the aviation industry over installing video cameras monitoring airline pilot actions to complement the cockpit voice and flight data recorders already used by accident investigators. One of the industry's most influential voices, International Air Transport Association head Willie Walsh, a former airline pilot, said on Wednesday in Singapore there was a strong argument for video cameras to be installed in airliner cockpits to monitor pilot actions to complement voice and flight data recorders already used by accident investigators. Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787's engines seconds after takeoff, leading to an irrecoverable situation. The crash in Ahmedabad, India, killed 241 of the 242 people aboard, as well as 19 people on the ground. As of now, 'based on what little we know now, it's quite possible that a video recording, in addition to the voice recording would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation on the issue of mental health,' Walsh said. Advocates for cockpit video cameras say the footage could fill in gaps left by the audio and data recorders, while opponents say concerns about privacy and misuse outweigh what they argue are marginal benefits for investigations. Video footage was 'invaluable' to Australian crash investigators determining what led to Robinson R66 helicopter breaking up in mid-air in 2023, killing the pilot, the only person aboard, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report, which was released 18 days after the Air India crash. The video showed 'the pilot was occupied with non-flying related tasks for much of this time, specifically, mobile phone use and the consumption of food and beverages,' the report said. The ATSB commended Robinson Helicopters for providing factory-installed cameras and said it encouraged other manufacturers and owners to consider the ongoing safety benefits of similar devices. In 2000, US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Jim Hall urged the Federal Aviation Administration to require commercial airliners be equipped with cockpit image recorders. Hall's recommendation came in the wake of 1999's Egyptair Flight 990 crash, when the first officer intentionally crashed the Boeing 767, according to the NTSB, killing all 217 people on board. 'In the balance between privacy and safety, the scale tips toward safety, unequivocally,' air safety expert and former commercial airline pilot John Nance said. 'Protecting the flying public is a sacred obligation.' Another aviation safety expert, Anthony Brickhouse, said that as an accident investigator, he is in favor of cockpit video, but acknowledged that commercial pilots have real concerns. Video on Air India flight 171 'would have answered lots of questions,' he said. Air India declined to comment. India's AAIB, which is expected to release a final report within a year of the crash under international rules, did not reply to request for comment. US pilots' unions such as the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and Allied Pilots Association (APA) say the voice and data recorders already provide enough information to determine the cause of a crash and that the cameras would be an invasion of privacy and could be misused. Calls for cockpit cameras are an understandable reaction to 'the stress of not knowing what happened immediately after an accident,' said APA spokesperson Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines pilot. 'I can understand the initial reaction of the more information, the better,' but investigators already have enough data to adequately determine an accident's cause, leaving no need for cameras, he said. To make flying safer, current safety systems should be enhanced to record higher-quality data, rather than adding video cameras, an ALPA spokeperson said. There are also concerns the footage could be used by airlines for disciplinary actions or that video could be leaked to the public after a crash, said John Cox, an aviation safety expert, retired airline pilot and former ALPA executive air safety chairman. A pilot's death being broadcast on 'the 6 o'clock news is not something that the pilot's family should ever have to go through,' he said. If confidentiality can be assured around the world, 'I can see an argument' for installing cameras, Cox said. Cockpit voice recordings are typically kept confidential by investigators in favor of partial or full transcripts being released in final reports. Despite that, International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations said it was skeptical that confidentiality could ever be assured for cockpit videos. 'Given the high demand for sensational pictures, IFALPA has absolutely no doubt that the protection of (airborne image recorder) data, which can include identifiable images of flight crewmembers, would not be ensured either,' the organization said in a statement. Boeing declined to disclose whether customers are able to order cockpit video recorders, while Airbus did not reply to request for comment.
