In a world that is just coming off the back of a pandemic and with travel among a selective range of industries still finding its way back up, cleanliness has become a major decisive factor in the quality of its stakeholders, not least airlines.
The 2025 Skytrax rankings of the World’s Cleanest Airlines were recently announced and have some unsurprising participants once again receiving accolades for their pristine aircraft cleanliness, with metrics such as the cleanliness and presentation of seat areas, tables, carpets, cabin panels, and washrooms contributing to the final rating.
Cleanest Airlines in the World
Taiwanese full-service carrier EVA Air takes the prestigious top spot in the rankings, which are dominated by the Asian carriers, therefore emphasising all of their commitments to a top-class customer experience on board with leading hospitality at the heart of it all.
Interestingly, there are only five non-Asian airlines in the top 20 of Skytrax’s list,
Here is a look at those who have clinched the first 10 spots and what measures they take to ensure that their cabins remain in an immaculate state.
1. EVA Air
In 2025, the number one spot in Skytrax’s Cleanest Airlines in the World rankings belongs to EVA Air (BR), the Taiwanese full-service carrier operating out of Taipei. It’s hard product and soft product are already some of the most industry-leading facets, but the measures they take to ensure the cleanliness of their planes and, in turn, the well-being of passengers are commendable.
The seats, handles, tray tables, entertainment screens, overhead compartments, and all the aisles are thoroughly cleaned by a dedicated group of staff between flights, with cabin crew also taking the initiative to keep the aircraft in a spotless condition when in the air. Additionally, their food containers also comply with global sanitation standards, hence keeping galleys clean as well.
All of EVA’s air conditioning systems are equipped with high-efficiency particulate Air filters, which kill 99.97% of all bacteria and allow passengers to breathe the finest quality of air when transiting between diverse weather conditions and time zones. Their advanced air conditioning system also exchanges air in the cabin at regular minutes to ensure that there are no residual marks left.
2. All Nippon Airways (ANA)
All Nippon Airways (NH) is the second-ranked airline in Skytrax’s list and unsurprisingly so given the Japanese commitment towards maintaining a spick and span environment. Both of the ANA hubs in Tokyo, Haneda and Narita, were also named as the 10 cleanest airports in the world.
ANA has regular cleaning procedures in place, and besides the airplane cabins going through moderate tidying up between each flight, the carrier leverages longer layovers for its airplanes to deep clean seats robustly, vacuum carpets, and regularly replaces linen on board its flights.
The airline also uses HEPA filters and regularly replenishes air in the cabin, like EVA Air, to eliminate viruses and bacteria in the air.
3. Cathay Pacific Airways
Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) is on an upward trajectory, and with improved service in the cabin, it is also prioritising a cleaner flying experience. The airline has a dedicated team of aircraft cleaners at its Hong Kong base, with airplanes sent on overnight layovers at regular intervals to be thoroughly cleaned inside and out.
Cathay’s staff shampoos and vacuums seats, bedding, and carpet in between aisles, whereas vulnerable surfaces like tray tables, entertainment screens, and remote controls, and galleys are disinfected with some very aggressive cleaning products recommended by the WHO to keep them from staining.
In what is a very common practice nowadays, Cathay also uses air purifiers and filters to refresh the cabin air at higher altitudes while mitigating viruses that may be carried into the cabins. The aesthetic of the aircraft is also maintained with external cleaning schedules planned in advance.
4. Qatar Airways
Doha-based Qatar Airways (QR) has been going from strength to strength in recent years and outperforms its rivals like Emirates and Etihad to be the only Middle Eastern carrier in this list.
Qatar leverages cheap manual labour in its region and has built a large workforce of workers who are tasked with manually cleaning airplanes between flights.
The seats, washrooms, and all penetrable services are hand-dusted and cleaned by this group of employees, whereas, between slightly longer layovers, a deep vacuuming of the plane is also carried out.
In the air, Qatar uses advanced air filters and replaces them at regular intervals to ensure that each device is optimally performing. Plus, the airline also utilizes Honeywell’s UV Cabin System, thereby using ultraviolet light to keep the cabin clean without the need for combative chemicals.
5. Singapore Airlines
Singapore is one of the world’s cleanest cities, so Singapore Airlines (SQ) ranking highly in Skytrax’s list was also inevitable.
As with other carriers, Singapore Airlines uses disinfectant wipes to clean areas that are most touched by the passengers. For their linen, a high-temperature washing cycle, and in economy class, one-time use earphones are provided to passengers, which further reduces the risk of in-flight amenities being lower than the accepted threshold of cleanliness.
Singapore Airlines’ cabin crew also regularly clean lavatories between each passenger using them, and the carrier has introduced contactless faucets and sanitizers in the toilets.
6. Hainan Airlines
Hainan Airlines (HU) is the highest-ranked mainland Chinese carrier in the Skytrax Cleanest Airlines in the World list. The majorly state-owned air operator has some of the strictest publicly known measures to prioritize aircraft cleanliness.
They precisely follow a three-step process. During turnarounds, the aisles are vacuumed and all surfaces like tray tables and entertainment screens are wiped with anti-bacterial fluids. The washrooms are also thoroughly cleaned and headrest covers get replaced regularly too.
On slightly longer layovers at the home base, a deeper cleaning is conducted of carpets and seats as well, while fogging techniques, which involve spraying mist-like disinfectants, are also known to have been used to very good effect.
7. Starlux Airlines
Starlux Airlines (JX) is one of the world’s newest full-service carriers, and like the number one ranked airline on the list, it is also based out of Taiwan.
They have a standard cleaning procedure in between flights, although depending on the location of each aircraft’s arrival and the bio-risk that those geographies may pose, deeper cleaning and a thorough disinfection of the plane is also conducted, not just on layovers, but in between flights too.
The cleaning teams follow checklists to ensure that no area inside and outside the aircraft is left untouched and maintain a pristine state to allow the airline to put its best foot forward for the next flight.
8. Japan Airlines
Japan’s flag carrier, Japan Airlines (JL), is another expected name on the list and alongside All Nippon Airways, its full-service carrier in the country, JAL ranks very highly in this list.
Apart from the conventional cleaning and disinfecting in between flights, a team of 12 employees undertakes a thorough deep clean of the aircraft when it is on the ground for a few hours. This process takes five hours, and all the carpets, seats, and other vulnerable surfaces are vacuumed and cleansed with mops, brushes, and pressure-washing techniques.
Between flights, the pillows and blankets are also replaced regularly with fresher and newer sets while bathrooms are also kept tidy, not just by the ground staff but also by the cabin crew at regular intervals.
9. Korean Air
Korean Air (KE) takes the ninth position in the Cleanest Airlines in the World list by Skytrax and is the only carrier from its country in the top 10. Asiana Airlines made the 15th place but with the two airlines now having merged, it is fair to discount them for this purpose.
Korean Air, as with many carriers around the world, has leading procedures in between flights that are focused on eliminating bacteria and viruses from surfaces that are touched most often, with airplanes undergoing a longer and deeper process when at Seoul’s airport overnight. They use disinfectants specially prescribed by the Korean Ministry of Food & Drug Safety.
Before each aircraft is to depart for a longer flight, it undergoes a more robust process on the ground by the dedicated team of cleaners, and air filtration devices are also checked at this time to ensure that passengers who spend a significant duration on board are satisfied with the overall experience.
10. China Southern Airlines
China Southern Airlines (CZ) rounds off the top 10 airlines ranked by Skytrax in this list. Alongside Hainan Airlines, it is the second air operator from the mainland Chinese region to feature.
What China Southern does differently in comparison to its competitors is the use of dry-cleaning techniques, which not only prevent wastage of water but also prevent surfaces like touchscreens, tray tables, and seats from developing residual marks. This measure, adopted during COVID-19, has continued to work successfully to date.
A biodegradable cleaning process coupled with using heat cleaning techniques helps them turn around airplanes also quicker than most of their competitors while mitigating the risk of sidelining planes for longer durations under a strict cleaning schedule.
No.11 to No.20
| S. No. | Airline Name | IATA Code |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | China Airlines | CI |
| 12 | Malaysia Airlines | MH |
| 13 | Hong Kong Airlines | HX |
| 14 | Asiana Airlines | OZ |
| 15 | Finnair | AY |
| 16 | Swiss International Air Lines | LX |
| 17 | Austrian Airlines | OS |
| 18 | Qantas Airways | QF |
| 19 | Lufthansa | LH |
| 20 | Saudia | SV |
Region-Wise Top Cleanest Airlines
| Region | IATA | Airline |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 4Z | Airlink |
| Australia/Pacific | QF | Qantas Airways |
| Asia | BR | EVA Air |
| Central Asia & CIS | J2 | Azerbaijan Airlines |
| China | HU | Hainan Airlines |
| Europe | AY | Finnair |
| India & South Asia | 6E | IndiGo |
| North America | DL | Delta Air Lines |
| South America | LA | LATAM |
| Middle East | QR | Qatar Airways |
Bottom line
Clean airlines provide travellers with peace of mind and a sense of safety regardless of whether they are flying in economy, business, or first class.
That said, it is far from a surprise that the top 10 of Skytrax’s Cleanest Airlines in the World list is solely dominated by Asian carriers, who pride themselves on maintaining a leading level of hospitality and passenger comfort in the skies.
Moreover, it reaffirms the investment full-service carriers make towards providing passengers with perhaps more value for money than their low-cost counterparts.
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