Domestic carriers gain recognition

Major State-owned airlines Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines have gained recognition for performance and services on a series of recently released lists that rated carriers around the world.

Air China was ranked fifth among the top 10 safest carriers, according to a list that was released this week in Hong Kong. Air New Zealand tops that list, followed by Singapore Airlines and Finnair.

The lists were released by the World Air Stewardess Association, which was founded in Hong Kong in 2007 and has members from 256 countries and regions. A large number of carriers worldwide have joined the evaluation this year.

Air China, China Southern and China Eastern ranked fourth, fifth and seventh on the list in terms of comprehensive competitiveness. Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport was listed as the most beautiful airport in the world.

Hong Kong International Airport topped the list of the 10 best airports for the ninth consecutive year, with its fine airport environment, high safety level and business operations that covered a large number of international and domestic flights.

Three private airlines in China－Juneyao Airlines, Ruili Airlines and Spring Airlines－were ranked as the top three in the list of excellent flight attendant teams among Chinese carriers.

Meanwhile, Ruili Airlines, an airline based in Kunming, Yunnan province, was noted for being one of the 10 most amiable airlines in Asia.

The carrier was also rated as airline with one of the most attractive uniforms, with its traditional costumes from the Dai ethnic group.

Sun Siqi, a chief flight attendant of Ruili Airlines, was rated as the most beautiful flight attendant in China, and this is the second year in a row that one of the carrier's stewards received such an award.

Meanwhile, Air China, China Southern and China Eastern reported strong growth in their first-quarter earnings, fueled by continuing high demand in the market.

By 2020, it is expected that China will transport 720 million people by air annually, meaning during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), the domestic aviation market will grow by 10 percent every year on average, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

By 2024, the demand for passenger transport in China will exceed that of the United States, and China will become the largest air passenger market in the world, the International Air Transport Association forecasted.