China Airlines wins top honors at APEX awards

Taipei, Nov. 26 (CNA) Taiwan-based China Airlines (CAL) said Monday that it clinched three major awards from the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) for the year 2024, including one for best airline in the world.

The "Five Star Global Airlines" rating, which CAL secured for the ninth consecutive year, was awarded to 28 airlines based on passenger evaluations from over 1 million flights across 600 airlines worldwide, the company said in a statement.

Another Taiwanese major carrier, EVA Airways, was also on the list.

CAL said that in addition to the award based on passenger feedback in five in-flight passenger experience arenas -- seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, in-flight entertainment, and Wi-Fi -- CAL was also honored as the "Best in Food and Beverage" and "Best in Wi-Fi" among airlines in the Greater China region, out of six service categories.

APEX Group CEO Joe Leader praised CAL for its premium business and economy class offerings, highlighting their combination of comfort and cultural immersion with designs inspired by areas of natural beauty in Taiwan and Asian aesthetics.

CAL "exemplifies the high standards of APEX Five Star airlines, further solidifying its position as an industry leader," he was quoted by the airline as saying.

APEX is a non-profit membership trade association dedicated to improving the experience of airline passengers.

The airline association said the ratings this year were based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback and insights gathered through its partnership with TripIt from Concur, the world's highest-rated travel-organizing app.