Airline rankings for 2025 highlight the best in cabin service, the safest carriers, and the busiest airports worldwide. Here’s how airlines and airports performed—and how Philippine carriers fared.
In June, Skytrax named Singapore Airlines as having the World’s Best Airline Cabin Crew for 2025. The Top 20 was dominated by Asian airlines, with ANA All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, Garuda Indonesia, EVA Air, Japan Airlines, and Malaysia Airlines all making the list.
Notably absent was Philippine Airlines (PAL), the country’s flag carrier. Despite Filipinos being globally recognized for their hospitality, PAL did not place in this year’s ranking.
AirlineRatings.com released its list of the Top 25 Safest Full-Service Airlines and Top 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines in June as well. Here's how their rankings figured:
Air New Zealand was ranked the world’s safest airline, followed closely by Qantas.
Other top-ranked full-service carriers included Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Emirates, ANA, and EVA Air.
For low-cost carriers, Cebu Pacific was recognized among the world’s safest budget airlines, joining names like HK Express, Jetstar, Ryanair, AirAsia, and Southwest Airlines.
By contrast, Philippine Airlines was absent from both the safest full-service list and Skytrax’s cabin crew ranking.
According to Airports Council International (ACI), global passenger traffic reached nearly 9.5 billion in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
The Top 10 busiest airports were led by:
Atlanta (USA) – 108 million passengers
Dubai (UAE) – 92 million
Dallas/Fort Worth (USA) – 87 million
Tokyo Haneda (Japan) – 85 million
London Heathrow (UK) – 83 million
For international passengers specifically, Dubai International Airport remained No. 1, followed by London Heathrow and Incheon (Korea). Southeast Asia is again well-represented on this list, with Changi ranking 4th in the latest rankings.
The 2025 rankings show Asian carriers excelling in both safety and service, while major hubs in the Middle East, North America, and Asia dominate global air traffic. For the Philippines, Cebu Pacific’s recognition as one of the world’s safest low-cost airlines is a bright spot, while Philippine Airlines’ absence from top global lists highlights the need to raise competitiveness among regional peers.