AirlineRatings.com, the world's only safety and product rating website has announced Air New Zealand as its Airline of the Year for 2017.

The global ratings agency AirlineRatings.com promotes safety and excellence in the airline industry and one of the pinnacles of these efforts is its Airline Excellence Awards.

Air New Zealand is being honoured for the fourth consecutive year for its record-breaking financial performance, award winning in-flight innovations, operational safety, environmental leadership and motivation of its staff. These factors have stamped the airline as an industry trendsetter.

The AirlineRatings.com Airline Excellence Awards program combines four major international industry and government audits, with another nine key criteria that include: fleet age, passenger review ratings, profitability, investment rating and key product offerings.

AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said: "In our objective analysis Air New Zealand came out number one in virtually all of our audit criteria, which is an exceptional performance."

Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon says being recognised once again by the industry is a real highlight for its people in a record year of performance.

"The past 12 months have been exceptional for Air New Zealand - we've continued to invest in a streamlined and refurbished fleet, launched three new international routes and rolled out improvements to the customer experience with enhanced inflight entertainment and a multi-million dollar lounge redevelopment programme.

"Above all, the award is testament to the talented team of people who make Air New Zealand great by putting customers at the heart of everything we do."

Other winners in the Airline Excellence Awards are: Qantas, Etihad, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Scoot, EVA Air, Cathay Pacific Airways, Flybe, Garuda Indonesia, Lufthansa, Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic, Norwegian, Lufthansa, Delta Air Lines, Virgin America and Kulula.com.

Scooping three awards, Qantas, won Best Domestic Airline Service, Best Catering and Best Lounges.

Etihad Airways picked up Best First Class, while Virgin Australia won Best Business Class.

Best In-Flight Entertainment went to Emirates.

The Virgin Group - Virgin Australia, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America picked up Best Cabin Crew.

Flybe won Best Regional Airline and Garuda Indonesia Most Improved Airline.

For excellence in Long Haul travel the editors selected Delta Air Lines (Americas), Virgin Atlantic (Europe), Etihad Airways (Middle-East/Africa) and Singapore Airlines (Asia/Pacific).

For value and safety in the Low Cost Airline sector, the editors selected Virgin America (Americas), Norwegian (Europe), Kulula.com (Africa/Middle-East) and Scoot (Asia/Pacific).

AirlineRatings.com has also announced its top ten airlines for 2017.

Heading the list is Air New Zealand followed by Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic/Virgin Australia, British Airways, Etihad Airways, All Nippon Airways, Eva Air and Lufthansa. -BERNAMA