The Lighter Note

Qatar hits a top note     

Deputy Premier Kim Hames, who moonlights as tourism minister, got the big job this week announcing the inaugural touchdown of Qatar Airways in Perth.

Qatar joins Emirates as one of two Arabian Gulf players to make Western Australia part of its destination choice, pipping Etihad Airways which has long-been expected to start a local service.

Dr Hames, who is also health minister, took the trouble to mention that Qatar was the world’s leading airline, a statement The Note took to mean in the advertising sense until we actually tested its veracity.

There is actually a world airline survey award presented by Skytrax. Voting ended in June for the 2012 awards and a new winner will be named in July, so Qatar, and the state government, are milking the last drops from the 2011 win.

Intriguingly, the podium is dominated by Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern airlines, including Qantas in its top 10 – another airline that skips the ‘u after q’ spelling rule. 

The world's best are: 1 Qatar Airways, 2 Singapore Airlines,  3 Asiana Airlines,  4 Cathay Pacific Airways, 5 Thai Airways International, 6 Etihad Airways, 7 Air New Zealand, 8 Qantas Airways, 9 Turkish Airlines and 10 Emirates.

Either this part of the world has airlining down pat or the grandly named award is like baseball’s World Series. 

Skytrax also rates airports, getting a far more ecumenical result in 2012. 

The top five are: 1 Incheon International, 2 Singapore’s Changi, 3 Hong Kong International Airport, 4 Amsterdam’s Schiphol and 5 Beijing Capital International.