Which airline is the world’s worst?

Which airline is the world’s worst?
By Hannah Edensor


For the fourth year in a row, North Korean airline Air Koryo has been ranked as the world’s worst airline, achieving a one star rating out of a possible five.

Skytrax, the aviation decider that also picks the world’s best airlines, has done its research, and deemed the North Korean carrier a bit of a dud.

Of the 600 carriers assessed by aviation consultancy Skytrax, none achieved as low a score the secret state’s national airline, per reports from eTN.

But just how bad is it to fly with the airline?

Reports of luggage being weighed by hand, in-flight entertainment dedicated solely to Kim Jong-un and aircraft dating back to the 1960s suggest it’s not exactly a trip to Disneyland.

However, in a show of the airline beating the lowest expectations, some reviews of the carrier on the internet aren’t quite as bad as you’d imagine.

The airline’s average customer rating on Skytrax’s website is an adequate 6.0 out of 10 and of the 41 users to have left reviews, 24 said they would recommend flying Air Koryo. Hilariou

While Koryo Air was the worst with a rating of just one star, there are others whose ratings indicate, according to Skytrax, “a lower quality performance, below the industry quality average across many of the rating sectors.”

In no particular order, these are some of the other worst airlines in the world:

  • Bahamasair – Bahamas – 2/10
  • Biman Bangladesh – Bangladesh – 5/10
  • Bulgaria Air – Bulgaria – 6/10
  • Cubana Airlines – Cuba – 4/10
  • Iran Air – Iran – 5/10
  • Lion Air – Indonesia – 4/10
  • Nepal Airlines – Nepal – 5/10
  • Onur Air – Turkey – 5/10
  • Pegasus Airlines – Turkey – 5/10
  • Ryanair – Ireland – 5/10
  • Rossiya Airlines – Russia – 5/10
  • SmartWings – Czech Republic – 5/10
  • Spirit Airlines – USA – 3/10
  • Sudan Airways – Sudan – 1/10 (from only one review)
  • Syrianair – Syria – 2/10
  • Turkmenistan Airlines – Turkmenistan – 4/10
  • Ukraine Int’l Airlines – Ukraine – 5/10

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

    Latest comments

    1. Skytrax rating is s total fake, has nothing to do with reality. Just had a nightmarish experience with Hainan Airlines that has “Skytrax 5 star” and if you look on the Internet, you’ll find out how much other customers hate it. How Skytrax awarded it 5 stars, based on what? I guess only they know.

    2. If you ever travelled on them – or rather tried to when they failed to notify a schedule change and left you stranded in Orlando and then refused and refund or compensation forcing you to buy another ticket on Southwest – then you would know that the rating above is probably “Excessive”. The staff tried to be helpful but the management just cut you loose and send continual misleading emails re clubs etc

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