North Korea-based Air Koryo has been named the worst airline of 2016, according to leading airline reviewer Skytrax.
The aviation rating website assessed airlines on the basis of the quality of their product and services. According to a star-based ranking system, Air Koryo was the only airline on the list to receive a single star.
While some passengers described “uncomfortably loud” engine noise, difficult to identify “fizzy drinks” and “perfunctory” emergency procedures as some of the deal breakers, others didn’t necessarily agree with the airline’s sub-par ranking.
Here they are (in alphabetical order):
1. Bahamasair
Based: Nassau
Founded: 1973
Fleet: 8
Destinations: 32
Slogan: “We don’t just fly there, we live there”
2. Biman Bangladesh Airlines
Based: Dhaka
Founded: 1972
Fleet: 12
Destinations: 18
3. Bulgaria Air
Based: Sofia
Founded: 2002
Fleet: 10
Destinations: 26
4. China United Airlines
Based: Beijing
Founded: 1986
Fleet: 36
Destinations: 20
5. Cubana Airlines
Based: Havana
Founded: 1930
Fleet: 20
Destinations: 20
Slogan: “Cuba’s Gateway to the World”
6. Iran Air
Based: Tehran
Founded: 1944
Fleet: 26
Destinations: 58
Slogan: “Our Mission is Your Safety” & “We Take You There, We Take You Back”
7. Lion Air
Based: Jakarta
Founded: 1999
Fleet: 111
Destinations: 126
Slogan: “We Make People Fly”
8. Mahan Air
Based: Tehran
Founded: 1992
Fleet: 56
Destinations: 61
Slogan: “The Spirit of Excellence”
9. Nepal Airlines
Based: Kathmandu
Founded: 1958
Fleet: 9
Destinations: 33
10. Onur Air
Based: Istanbul
Founded: 1992
Fleet: 30
Destinations: 30
Slogan: “Fly Turkey, Fly!”
11. Pegasus Airlines
Based: Istanbul
Founded: 1990
Fleet: 75
Destinations: 103
Slogan: “We Didn’t Start Aviation In Turkey, But We Transformed It”
12. Rossiya Airlines
Based: St Petersburg
Founded: 1932
Fleet: 61
Destinations: 58
13. SmartWings
Based: Prague
Founded: 2004
Fleet: 18
Destinations: 27
14. Spirit Airlines
Based: Miramar, Florida
Founded: 1980
Fleet: 95
Destinations: 59
Slogan: “Less Money, More Go”
15. Sudan Airways
Based: Khartoum
Founded: 1946
Fleet: 4
Destinations: 15
16. SyrianAir
Based: Damascus
Founded: 1946
Fleet: 12
Destinations: 14
17. Tajik Air
Based: Dushanbe
Founded: 1923
Fleet: 14
Destinations: 19
18. Turkmenistan Airlines
Based: Ashgabat
Founded: 1992
Fleet: 33
Destinations: 23
Slogan: “Symbol of Hospitality”
19. Ukraine International Airlines
Based: Kiev
Founded: 1992
Fleet: 38
Destinations: 80
20. Yemenia
Based: Sana’a
Founded: 1962
Fleet: 6
Destinations: 29
