Qatar Airways clinched top position while Dubai’s Emirates ranked fifth from 6^th place and Etihad squeezed into the last slot on the top world 20 list, according to the recent data compiled by Australian aviation safety and product rating agency AirlineRatings.

AirlineRatings also awarded Emirates the top award for Best Inflight Entertainment, who recently introduced its long-awaited premium economy class cabins on select flights.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic dampening air travel around the world and based on several criteria including the age of fleet, passenger reviews and product offerings, the 2021 list was topped by Qatar Airways, which nudged out Air New Zealand from the top.

This year, airlines were also ranked based on how they have responded to the coronavirus pandemic as demand for air travel is slowly returning and flying looks a lot different than it used to, the rankings can help provide passengers with more information when deciding which airlines to book amid an ongoing pandemic.

AirlineRankings also rated the best low-cost airlines in the world for 2021, with the UK’s EasyJet topping the list for those seeking budget travel options.

AirlineRatings.com is the global forerunner in safety, product, and COVID-19 ratings. It usually announces its top airlines in November but decided to make schedule changes with regard to the pandemic as it wanted to see how the industry would handle the pandemic over a longer period of time before making selections.

 Following are the list of top 20 best airlines:

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