Virgin Australia has soared to new heights, clinching the title of World's Best Cabin Crew for the seventh consecutive year during the recently announced AirlineRatings.com 2025 Airline Excellence Awards. This remarkable achievement is just one of three accolades earned by the Australian carrier, which also saw its regional and charter business, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA), recognized as the World's Best Regional Airline for the second straight year.
The Airline Excellence Awards are renowned within the travel industry, evaluating over 380 airlines based on strict criteria including safety, value, passenger comfort, and innovation. Virgin Australia has made significant strides over the past four years, with considerable investments aimed at enhancing guest experiences. This has included the introduction of new aircraft, upgraded interiors featuring improved seating, and industry-first amenities like Wi-Fi and in-seat power outlets.
Jayne Hrdlicka, the Group CEO of Virgin Australia, expressed immense pride over the recognition, stating, "Earning the title of World’s Best Cabin Crew for the seventh consecutive time makes me immensely proud of the experience our people consistently deliver on board.” Hrdlicka emphasized the importance of the airline's unique culture, which she believes plays a significant role in its success. "We’re always striving to go above and beyond and set a new bar for ourselves in terms of choice, value, and service," she added.
Hrdlicka's comments reflected the airline's commitment not just to uphold service excellence within their fleet but also to recognize the growth and reliability of their regional operations. “Our WA regional operation forms a key component of our business and has continued to grow as we’ve simplified our fleet and rebuilt our airline,” she shared, expressing her excitement over the global recognition of their team's dedication and performance.
Meanwhile, the awards also introduced the global Hybrid Airlines category this year, where Virgin Australia ranked third, following JetBlue and WestJet. The Hybrid Airlines category recognizes airlines blending low-cost carrier features with full-service offerings, providing travelers with more choices.
These honors for Virgin Australia come as other airlines across Australia and New Zealand celebrated their own successes. Jetstar Air Australia earned the second place on the Low-Cost Carrier list, with Air New Zealand narrowly edging out Qantas for the third spot on the full-service airline rankings.
Beyond Virgin Australia, the overall Airline of the Year award for 2025 went to Korean Air, marking the South Korean carrier's commitment to passenger comfort and its competitive edge. The airline also outperformed Qatar Airways and Air New Zealand, which took second and third places respectively. Korean Air's accolades were a recognition of the airline's steadfast dedication to maintaining generous seat pitches and superior comfort across its fleet, particularly for economy travelers.
Sharon Petersen, CEO of AirlineRatings.com, explained the rigorous assessment process, outlining the merit behind selecting the best airline. “These awards are not merely popularity contests; they are awarded after careful, expert evaluation of each airline based on their quality, safety, and the overall passenger experience.”
With Korean Air's title for 2025, the airline was praised for resisting shrinking seat sizes, prioritizing passenger space in its economy class, and enriching the flying experience with more extensive meal offerings and improved entertainment options. The airline's recent merger with rival carrier, ASIANA, also contributed to its strength and innovation portfolio.
Reflecting on this year’s award announcements, the rankings revealed significant placements among other notable airlines like Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and many others, encapsulating the varied range of aviation excellence across the globe.
Fans of travel and aviation can recognize the marked improvements and developments brought to the forefront by the 2025 awards. With the airline industry constantly innovatively adapting to traveler needs, it seems the future will consistently yield the prospect of flying high.