This airline just unseated Singapore Airlines as airline of the year for 2020

AirlineRatings.com has released its coveted Airline Excellence Awards, naming Air New Zealand as its airline of the year.

The Kiwi carrier, who just nudged out last year’s winner, Singapore Airlines, is being honoured for the sixth time for its record-breaking performance, multi-award-winning in-flight innovations, operational safety, environmental leadership and motivation of its staff.

The awards are judged by seven editors with over 200 years of combined industry experience and combines major safety and government audits, with 12 key criteria that include: fleet age, passenger reviews, profitability, investment rating, product offerings, and staff relations.

Closer to home, Qantas, which has been a consistent winner across many categories on AIrlineRating’s lists over the past few years, took home best domestic service and best lounges.

Virgin Australia also took home a prize, winning best economy class for its spacious cabin.

Here’s a round-up of the winners:

Best premium economy – Air New Zealand

First-class award – Singapore Airlines

Best Catering – Qatar

Best business class – Qatar

Best domestic services – Qantas

Best lounges – Qantas

Best economy – Virgin Australia

Best cabin crew – Virgin Australia

Best inflight entertainment – Emirates

Best long-haul Middle East – Emirates

Most improved airline – Cebu Pacific

Best ultra-low-cost airline – VietJetAir

Excellence in long haul travel – Delta Airlines (Americas), Lufthansa (Europe), Emirates (Middle East), Cathay Pacific (Asia)

Best low-cost airline – JetBlue (Americas), Wizz (Europe) and AirAsia / AirAsia X (Asia/Pacific) and Air Arabia (Middle-East / Africa)

And the top 20 round-up winners were:

1. Air New Zealand
2. Singapore Airlines
3. All Nippon Airways
4. Qantas
5. Cathay Pacific Airways
6. Emirates
7. Virgin Atlantic
8. EVA Air
9. Qatar Airways
10. Virgin Australia
11. Lufthansa
12. Finnair
13. Japan Airlines
14. KLM
15. Korean Airlines
16. Hawaiian Airlines
17. British Airways
18. Alaska Airlines
19. Delta Air Lines
20. Etihad Airways.