What Skytrax does

Skytrax is a UK-based private aviation research consultancy, founded in 1999 and headquartered in London, that operates what it describes as the world's largest global airport customer satisfaction survey and the leading aviation industry quality rankings. The company runs the AirlineQuality.com consumer review platform covering airlines, airports, airline seats, and airline lounges, with a Trip Verified feature that authenticates reviewers who supply proof of travel. Underlying data collection is organized as an annual survey window (August to February) covering over 565 airports worldwide and gathering questionnaire responses from travelers of more than 100 nationalities.

Monetization is not publicly disclosed. The company derives commercial value from its two annual award programs — the World Airport Awards and the World Airline Awards, often referred to as the 'Oscars of the aviation industry' — and its 5-Star Airline Rating certification program (in operation since 1999). Award ceremonies are held at major industry venues such as the Passenger Terminal EXPO in London, generating significant global earned media coverage that functions as the company's primary marketing channel.

Skytrax serves a dual customer base: airports and airlines (which are the primary addressable customers for ratings, certifications, and recognition) and travelers (who supply reviews and consume ratings). No external institutional capital, parent company, or subsidiary structure is disclosed in the source data, and the ownership structure is consistent with a founder-controlled private firm. There are no disclosed headcount figures, pricing models, or revenue figures; the company operates as an independent, privately held business with global reach.

Name

Skytrax

Legal name

Skytrax

Website

https://airlinequality.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Skytrax is a UK-based aviation research consultancy that operates the AirlineQuality.com review platform and the World Airport Awards, surveying passenger satisfaction across 565+ airports and rating airlines via its 5-Star system for airports, airlines, and travelers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Quality Ratings and Reviews

NAICS

Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881), Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation (481111)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581), Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Travel Booking Platforms (Flights) (BPAMAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Loyalty Technology Platforms (LMS, Wallets, APIs) (THABAKAH), Cabin Crew Services & Onboard Service Delivery (THABAMAC)

Keywords

• Airline quality ratings
• Airport passenger rankings
• Passenger satisfaction surveys
• Aviation review platform
• Airline star rating

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Skytrax operates AirlineQuality.com, a global consumer review and ratings platform for the aviation industry, hosting airline, airport, seat, and lounge reviews submitted by travelers. The company runs annual global passenger satisfaction surveys covering over 565 airports worldwide with input from travelers of more than 100 nationalities, and produces the World Airline Star Rating (5-Star) certification system, the World Airport Awards, and the World Airline Awards as independent quality benchmarks for the aviation industry.

Product overview

Skytrax operates a multi-platform review and rating ecosystem for the aviation industry, comprising the airlinequality.com consumer review platform and the Skytrax award programs. The core consumer platform hosts airline reviews, airport reviews, seat reviews, and lounge reviews where travelers can submit verified or unverified feedback. The company also operates the World Airline Star Rating system (including the prestigious 5-Star Airline Rating) and annual World Airport Awards and World Airline Awards, all based on global passenger satisfaction surveys conducted across over 565 airports and hundreds of airlines. The airlinequality.com platform includes membership tiers (Elite, Globetrotter, HiFlyer, and Flyer) based on review activity, and features photo galleries for airlines, airports, seats, and lounges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AirlineQuality.com: Online platform for airline and airport customer reviews, ratings, and awards

Products and services

• Airline Customer Reviews Platform section on AirlineQuality.com where travelers submit and read customer reviews of airlines worldwide, covering service quality, seat comfort, cabin crew, and overall experience. Used by individual travelers to inform booking decisions and by airlines to monitor customer sentiment.
• Airport Customer Reviews Platform section on AirlineQuality.com where travelers submit and read customer reviews of airports worldwide, covering cleanliness, waiting times, shopping, dining, WiFi, staff service, and immigration. Used by travelers to compare airports and by airport operators to gauge satisfaction across 565+ airports.
• Airline Seat Reviews Specialized review section on AirlineQuality.com focusing on airline seat comfort, legroom, recline, seat width, and in-seat power facilities across different cabin classes. Targets travelers evaluating seating on specific aircraft.
• Airline Lounge Reviews Review section on AirlineQuality.com covering airline lounge comfort, cleanliness, catering, showers, and staff service quality. Targets travelers comparing lounge access and amenities across carriers.
• World Airline Star Rating (5-Star Rating) Prestigious global certification and quality-rating system for airline excellence, grading airlines across airport and onboard services and awarding a 5-Star designation to carriers meeting the highest standards. Targets airlines seeking independent quality certification; consumers use it as a purchase-decision reference.
• World Airport Awards Annual awards recognizing the world's best airports across global, regional, and category-specific rankings (cleanest, best dining, best immigration, best regional) based on Skytrax's global passenger satisfaction surveys covering 565+ airports. Targets airports seeking independent recognition and travelers using rankings to inform travel choices.
• World Airline Awards Annual awards often referred to as the "Oscars of the aviation industry," recognizing the world's best airlines across categories such as World's Best Cabin Crew based on global passenger surveys. Targets airlines seeking independent recognition and travelers using rankings to inform booking decisions.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tripadvisor: Tripadvisor operates the world's largest user-generated travel review platform with dedicated airline, airport, seat, and lounge review categories. Skytrax competes with Tripadvisor for traveler attention and airline/airport benchmarking influence, although Skytrax differentiates through structured survey methodology and award ceremonies.
• J.D. Power: J.D. Power conducts independent consumer research and quality ratings across automotive, financial services, and travel verticals, including airline and hotel satisfaction studies. J.D. Power is a direct peer in monetizing third-party survey-based quality assessments that influence vendor reputation and customer purchase decisions.
• APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association): APEX operates airline industry awards and ratings programs including the APEX Official Airline Ratings, which compete directly with Skytrax's 5-Star Airline Rating. Both organizations monetize industry recognition through member services, certification, and annual events targeted at airlines, content providers, and in-flight service vendors.
• Routes (Ink Events): Routes produces the Routes Awards (World Airport Awards equivalents for route development) and runs aviation industry events including the Routes World conference. Like Skytrax, it monetizes aviation industry recognition through events, awards, and analytics targeting airlines and airports.

Emerging players

• The Points Guy: The Points Guy operates reviews, rankings, and editorial coverage of airlines, airports, lounges, and seats focused on the loyalty/rewards segment. It overlaps with Skytrax on airline and airport quality assessment but differentiates via a US-centric consumer base and affiliate-driven monetization through credit card and booking referrals.

Others

• Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards: Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards is an annual reader-survey-driven ranking of airlines, airports, hotels, and destinations. It competes with Skytrax for traveler mindshare on quality assessments and engages airlines/airports in similar industry recognition programming, though distributed via a Condé Nast-owned publishing platform rather than as a standalone ratings authority.
• Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards: Condé Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards publishes annual reader-voted rankings of airlines, airports, and hotels. It competes with Skytrax's awards for traveler recognition and influences travel booking decisions, leveraging Condé Nast's publishing brand rather than structured survey methodology.
• KAYAK: KAYAK aggregates flight, hotel, and travel data with user reviews of airlines and airports. While primarily a metasearch engine rather than an awards authority, KAYAK competes for traveler research engagement and airline/airport quality rating placement, partnering with airlines/airports that might otherwise direct marketing spend to Skytrax.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxnW-L6M9GZPeShvIq5x-Ug
• Facebookfacebook.com/airlinequality
• Xx.com/airlinequality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skytrax