Korean Air earned the “Airline of the Year 2025” title in AirlineRatings.com annual round-up. The outlet, based in Australia, pointed to the Asian airline’s focus on “passenger comfort” which included roomy economy seating. That results from the carrier retaining its original seating configuration and not adding a 10th row.
Korean Air also won for Best Economy Class
Korean Air Boeing 787-9 cabin
Korean Air Boeing 787-9 cabin David McKelvey on Flickr
AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen said: “While many airlines have added a 10th seat per row on 777 aircraft and reduced seat pitch in economy to 31 to 32 inches (down from the previous 32 to 33 inches), Korean Air has chosen not to follow this trend.” She added: “These awards are not a popularity contest or a people’s choice award. As airline experts, we conduct a meticulous assessment of each category to help travelers identify the best airlines for quality, value, and safety.” The award follows Korean Air’s recent merger with Asiana Airlines, which was the most significant in the history of Asian aviation.
Highlighting Korean Air’s Economy Class offerings is the Boeing 787-10, with industry best seats with 120-degree recline and 13.3-inch high-resolution seatback screens. That’s a part of the airline’s continual fleet modernization efforts, which include the Airbus A350-900 and A321neo. These state-of-the-art aircraft broaden Korean Air’s network while offering the finest inflight experience.
AirlineRating.com’s Top 25 Airlines for 2025 include:
- Korean Air
- Qatar
- Air New Zealand
- Cathay Pacific
- Singapore Airlines
- Emirates
- Japan Airlines
- Qantas
- Etihad
- Turkish Airlines
- EVA Air
- Fiji Airways
- Virgin Atlantic
- ANA
- Aero Mexico
- Air Caraibes
- Thai Airways
- Starlux
- Vietnam Airlines
- Sri Lankan Airlines
- Air France
- KLM (note the airline are trialing a Hybrid model on some routes)
- Air Calin
- Air Mauritius
- Garuda Indonesia
Credit: Mark Reif
