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Cathay Pacific named world’s best economy class airline at Skytrax Awards

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Cathay Pacific named world’s best economy class airline at Skytrax Awards
Policy
Webp 2a
Ronald Lam, CEO | Cathay Pacific

Every year, millions of airline passengers participate in the Skytrax World Airline Awards, a global survey often called the “Oscars of the aviation industry.” In 2025, Cathay Pacific Airways was named the World’s Best Economy Class Airline. This recognition highlights Cathay Pacific’s efforts to improve passenger comfort, value, and service in economy class, which remains the most widely used cabin among travelers.

Cathay Pacific’s win at the 2025 Skytrax Awards was a significant achievement for the Hong Kong-based carrier. In addition to being recognized as the World’s Best Economy Class Airline, it also received the award for World’s Best Inflight Entertainment. The airline has invested over HK$100 billion in recent years to upgrade its fleet, cabins, and digital services. Notably, in 2024, Cathay introduced updated economy cabins on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with redesigned seats, enhanced entertainment systems, and new catering partnerships with Michelin-starred chefs.

The Skytrax awards are based on passenger surveys that rate airlines across various categories such as seat comfort, catering, cleanliness, inflight entertainment, and value for money. In 2025, more than 20 million travelers from over 100 countries participated in the survey between September 2024 and May 2025. At this year’s ceremony, Cathay Pacific was praised for its refined cabin experience and attentive crew service. Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines were also recognized for their strong performance in economy class.

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Among specific awards, Japan Airlines (JAL) received recognition for Best Economy Class Airline Seat due to its spacious seating on international flights. EVA Air was awarded Best Economy Class Onboard Catering for its meal quality and presentation.

A ranking of the top ten airlines for economy class in 2025 showed that eight were from the Asia-Pacific region. These carriers tend to focus on hospitality and cabin quality through crew attentiveness and food presentation as well as high hardware standards.

Cathay Pacific’s approach includes slimline seats with improved cushioning and adjustable headrests; a seat pitch averaging 32 inches; menus developed with Michelin-starred restaurants; an extensive inflight entertainment library featuring 4K HDR content; personal screens at every seat; WiFi throughout the fleet; and a cabin crew noted for professionalism.

Economy class standards differ by region. Asian airlines such as Cathay Pacific, JAL, ANA, and Singapore Airlines emphasize service culture and comfort with more generous seating and catering reflecting local traditions. North American carriers have made some improvements—Delta has enhanced inflight entertainment and introduced free WiFi—but generally offer less seat space compared to Asian competitors. European legacy carriers provide reliable but unremarkable products except Turkish Airlines, which stands out due to its combination of European and Asian influences.

Looking forward, several trends are shaping economy class: technological upgrades such as next-generation entertainment systems; sustainability initiatives including lighter seats and more efficient catering; and premiumization strategies that segment cabins or improve standard economy offerings.

Cathay Pacific’s recognition reflects both substantial investment in product quality and a commitment to treating economy passengers as valued customers. The award serves as a reminder that competitive service in economy class remains central to airline reputation even as premium cabins expand their presence within fleets.

As airlines adapt to changing expectations around technology, sustainability, and comfort—those who invest in improving their core product will likely see continued success among travelers worldwide.

Organizations Included in this History
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