Walter Finch
THEY may carry millions of passengers to Spain’s beaches each year, but Ryanair, Jet2, Vueling and easyJet are nowhere to be seen in the latest ranking of Europe’s best airlines.
The 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards, based on millions of passenger surveys, have once again pushed the continent’s low-cost giants to the sidelines in favour of the big full-service carriers.
Taking the crown this year is Turkish Airlines, praised for its vast global network and consistently strong onboard catering.
Air France followed close behind thanks to its premium cabins and lounge experience, while Swiss International Air Lines rounded out the top three with its reputation for punctuality and reliability.
Britain fared well in the rankings, with both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic among the continent’s favourites.
BA climbed into fourth place on the back of improvements to its long-haul cabins and its unrivalled international reach, while Virgin was lauded for its inflight service, premium economy seats and Heathrow Clubhouse lounge, securing a spot in sixth.
Spain’s own Iberia also made the grade.
Ranked seventh, the Madrid-based flag carrier has built a strong reputation for punctuality and long-haul links to Latin America, and is in the middle of a €6 billion modernisation drive that includes new aircraft and upgraded business class suites.
The rest of the top ten was dominated by Europe’s other legacy airlines, including Lufthansa, KLM, Austrian Airlines and Finnair, all of which scored highly on consistency, service and connectivity.
The rankings are based on more than 20 million passenger surveys conducted across over 100 countries, assessing everything from seat comfort and cabin crew service to catering, cleanliness and the overall travel experience.
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