Greek carrier Aegean Airlines has been placed fifth on the list of the twenty best airlines in the world (excluding US airlines), according to the Reader’s Choice Awards survey conducted and published by prestigious Condé Nast Traveller Magazine.

“In this year’s survey you voted on the world’s best international airlines with several Middle Eastern and Asian carriers achieving top marks for their premium lounges, amenity kits, extra legroom, and those long-haul flights around the globe.

“When 429,000 of you speak, we listen,” wrote Conde Nast Traveller when announcing the results.

Although Aegean Airlines doesn’t yet fly across the pond the Atlantic Ocean to the US, its affiliation with one of the world’s largest airline alliances, Star Alliance, gives it a wider global reach.

This is the second consecutive year that Aegean has been included in the list.

“This distinction comes as further recognition of our passion for providing quality services to each and every passenger – a passion that stands at the core of our company’s principles,” says Aegean Airlines’ Public Relations and Press Director, Stavroula Saloutsi.

“This recent commendation, which comes on top of a long list of previous successes, doesn’t just promote the Greek tourist product. It also constitutes irrefutable proof that our commitment to the country’s dynamic return to the world tourism map is bearing fruit,” she continues.

The Greek airline’s long tradition

Established in 1987, Aegean Airlines, which was also awarded the best regional airline in Europe for 2018 in the Skytrax World Airline Awards, has grown to be Greece’s largest airline flying a modern fleet of 61, mainly Airbus aircraft, to 153 destinations throughout Europe and Middle East.

In June 2018, the carrier signed a binding agreement with the Airbus company for the acquisition of up to 42 total new generation aircraft from the Α320neo family, which also represents the largest Greek investment as it reaches 5 billion euros.

“Our strategy has always been to be a little bit better than the large network carriers in Europe. In that we have better service, better motivated crew, a little more space, better offerings. At the same time, we invest a lot in our people, their development and training as they are the ones that ultimately help the airline make a difference in the service industry.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to extend a big thank you to all Greek Australian passengers for choosing to fly with AEGEAN and to reaffirm our commitment to honouring the trust that they have placed in us. Our promise is to continue to strive for more quality and innovation, focusing on the myriad positive attributes of Greece and our wish is to continue to be the first smile of welcome and the last smile of goodbye for all our valued customers,” concludes Ms. Saloutsi.

Singapore Airlines has ranked number one for all, except one, of the last 30 years of Readers’ Choice Awards—and this year, it topped the list as the world’s best carrier scoring top marks in the traveller’s trifecta of seat comfort, in-flight service and reliability.

Founded in 1947, the prestigious carrier also gets praise for continually upgrading its product, including an upgraded entertainment system with expanded viewing opportunities for all cabins.

With its growing fleet of Airbus A380s, state-of-the-art in-seat entertainment system the Dubai-based airline Emirates’ got high marks in all categories, from in-flight amenities, food and beverage to seat comfort, ranking at number 2 in the world, whilst Qatar, the airline that has one of the industry’s youngest fleets of ultra-long-haul wide-bodies, flying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the newest Airbus counterpart, the Airbus A350-1000, was awarded third place.