Air New Zealand, the national carrier of the island nation, was named Airline of the Year for 2017 by AirlineRatings.com. This marks the fourth consecutive year the airline has earned recognition from the publication’s annual awards.
The accolade reflects a combination of strong financial performance, in-flight innovation, high safety standards, environmental leadership and an engaged workforce. AirlineRatings.com evaluated carriers across multiple criteria, and Air New Zealand ranked highly across almost every measure.
“In our objective analysis Air New Zealand came out number one in virtually all of our audit criteria, which is an exceptional performance,” said Geoffrey Thomas, editor-in-chief of AirlineRatings.com.
Air New Zealand’s leadership pointed to a busy and productive year. “Over the past 12 months we have continued to invest in a streamlined and refreshed fleet, launched three new international routes and introduced enhancements to the customer experience, including improved inflight entertainment and a multimillion-dollar lounge redevelopment program,” said Christopher Luxon, CEO of Air New Zealand.
The AirlineRatings.com list also highlighted other leading global carriers. Among the top-ranked airlines were Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia, British Airways, Etihad Airways, All Nippon Airways, EVA Air and Lufthansa. These airlines were recognized for excellence in areas such as safety, service, innovation and sustainability.
The award underscores Air New Zealand’s continued focus on combining operational strength with customer-focused improvements. Investments in fleet renewal and customer amenities, paired with strong safety and environmental practices, contributed to the airline’s standout performance in the 2017 rankings.
As the aviation industry remains competitive and dynamic, awards like AirlineRatings.com’s Airline of the Year provide a snapshot of which carriers are advancing across multiple dimensions—from financial stability and route expansion to onboard experience and environmental initiatives. For Air New Zealand, the recognition reinforces its position among the world’s leading airlines and highlights the results of its recent strategic investments and service upgrades.