Skytrax has released its annual world airline star ratings, which are recognised as a global benchmark of airline standards. Once again, the industry’s worst performers have been named and shamed with a star rating of two or lower. Here are the worst offenders that you will probably want to avoid while travelling abroad.
It doesn’t matter how frugal you are — choosing the cheapest available plane ticket is usually a bad idea. The below airlines have consistently demonstrated a below-average performance across multiple Skytrax rating sectors, indicating that their front-line product and staff service standards are barely acceptable.
According to Skytrax’s website, a two-star airline rating “normally signifies poorer or inconsistent standards of product and front-line staff service for the cabin service and the home-base airport environment.”
A one-star rating, meanwhile, represents “a poor quality of Product delivered across the assessment sectors, combining with low and/or inconsistent standards of front-line Staff Service for the Onboard and home-base Airport.”
Topping the list as the world’s worst airline is North Korea’s Koryo Air. It is the fourth year in a row that the airline has received the lowest rating and the only receiver of a dreaded single-star rating.
Listed in alphabetical order, here are 23 airlines that received two stars or less from Skytrax, earning themselves the title of the world’s worst airlines. As you’d expect, many of the airlines featured on this list come from developing countries, although there are a few from affluent nations including Ireland and the USA.
Has anyone had the displeasure of flying with one? Let us know in the comments!
| Airline | Country | Skytrax rating |
|---|---|---|
| Air Italy | Italy | 2 stars |
| Air Koryo | North Korea | 1 star |
| Bahamasair | Bahamas | 2 stars |
| Biman Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 2 stars |
| Bulgaria Air | Bulgaria | 2 stars |
| China United Airlines | China | 2 stars |
| Cubana Airlines | Cuba | 2 stars |
| Iran Air | Iran | 2 stars |
| Lion Air | Indonesia | 2 stars |
| Mahan Air | Iran | 2 stars |
| Nepal Airlines | Nepal | 2 stars |
| Onur Air | Turkey | 2 stars |
| Pegasus Airlines | Turkey | 2 stars |
| Rossiya Airlines | Russia | 2 stars |
| Ryanair | Ireland | 2 stars |
| SmartWings | Czech Republic | 2 stars |
| Spirit Airlines | USA | 2 stars |
| Sudan Airways | Sudan | 2 stars |
| Syrianair | Syria | 2 stars |
| Tajik Air | Tajikistan | 2 stars |
| Turkmenistan Airlines, | Turkmenistan | 2 stars |
| Ukraine Int’l Airlines | Ukraine | 2 stars |
| Yemenia | Yemen | 2 stars |
See also: Review: Does Tiger Airways Still Suck? | How I Survived The 33-Hour Flight From Hell | How To Survive Being Stranded Overnight In An Airport Terminal
[Via Business Insider]
Comments
7 responses to “Revealed: The 23 Worst Airlines In The World”
North Korea air….. what is it a bunch of Cessna 182’s with Kim Jong Un face on the side
Actuality just looked it up just a bunch of obsolete Russian aircraft… still pathetic.
Many of these countries’ governments would also get similar stars.
Which one does the eerie flight attendant/ostrich hybrid in the photo work for?
Rossiya Airlines.
I had poor service from smartwings. It was a code share with Czech airlines, but pretty racists crew, and made me and my wife feel very cheap travelling with them…
Glorious leader say that one star is unique pinnacle of service unobtainable by your western capitalist Qantas.
I’ve flown Biman. Overall it’s exactly what you’d expect flights that cheap to be. The problem however comes from the other passengers. Uneducated bangladeshi labourers that fly to Malaysia/middle east for work. The issue stems from them not knowing how to use the toilets. Imagine a flight whose economy class is 99.99% male, sharing 2 bathrooms and almost none of them understand how to flush the airplane toilet.
I went before the meal service, knew what was happening and warned my wife immediately to use the toilet before there’s no.2’s to contend with. She… didn’t need to go then.
Toilet 1: fecal matter up to the seat, someone had stuck a plastic bottle in the mound of shit because why the fuck not?
Toilet 2: shit covered wall. We assume someone with diarrhea had tried to use it like a squat toilet.
So yes. We’re not flying biman ever again.
Minus 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 star rating for pakistan international airlines
Chal bay! ullu k pathay