Korean Air (003490.KS) has been named a 5-Star Airline, the highest rating in the UK-based Skytrax World Airline Star Rating, for the sixth consecutive year, the carrier said Thursday.
Skytrax, founded in 1989 and based in London, is a consulting and evaluation organization specializing in air transport. Since 1999, it has annually assessed the service elements of airlines worldwide, assigning ratings from 1-Star to 5-Star, with 5-Star representing the world's highest quality of airline service. Including Korean Air, only 10 airlines globally have received the 5-Star rating.
In this evaluation, Skytrax comprehensively reviewed the service quality across Korean Air's customer touchpoints. The assessment covered approximately 550 items, including check-in and transfer procedures, airport services such as lounges, in-flight meals, in-flight amenities, cabin service, in-flight entertainment (IFE), and aircraft seating.
Korean Air received high marks in the following order: web and mobile homepage; passenger transport, lounge, and cabin service; and IFE systems and equipment.
The lounge segment in particular saw a significant rise in its score compared to the previous year. With the opening of the First Class and Prestige West lounges this month, Korean Air completed the construction of seven next-generation lounges at Incheon International Airport, a project that spanned roughly three years and five months.
In March, the airline opened a newly refurbished flagship lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. Korean Air plans to continue expanding and renovating lounges at major overseas hub airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, with unveilings scheduled within this year.
"Korean Air's ability to maintain the highest 5-Star airline certification for six consecutive years is the result of its continuous efforts to deliver an excellent passenger experience," Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said. "The airline was highly evaluated for consistently maintaining high standards in key areas such as cabin comfort, in-flight meals, and service execution throughout the cabin and airport."
"We will continue to deliver an enhanced travel experience that exceeds customer expectations through ongoing investment and improvement," a Korean Air official said.
