Qatar Airways wins top spot for service, unseating Emirates

Qatar Airways reclaimed the No. 1 spot in this year’s Skytrax awards. Qatar unseated Emirates, which slipped to second. The rankings are based on an annual passenger survey. CE Akbar al Baker used the occasion to make an impromptu speech in which he condemned the blockade of Qatar, which he had previously likened to the Soviet siege of West Berlin after World War II. “This award is not for me or my airline but for my country,” Al Baker said. He added that Qatar is beset by “big bullies.” Lufthansa managed to improve its ranking by 3 slots to the seventh position, making it the only European carrier in the Top 10 and the only airline not from Asia or the Persian Gulf. At the same time it failed to secure a 5-star ranking, something it has been targeting since 2015, though CE Carsten Spohr pledged to get there soon. <br/>