Taipei-based Starlux Airlines business-class cabins have a distinctive fragrance. Something good. It is called a house in the air and is pumped throughout the space as part of an on-flight experience that shows details that other airlines likely will fo-stretch.
In mid-2023, I was riding the startup airline’s first trans-Pacific route between the US and Asia (LA and Taipei) to inhale custom-designed fragrances (sniffing tea and wood). I flew in dozens of premium cabins, and the Starlux experience was one of the most refined and refined. It’s named for any carrier, but even more so for the airline that launched in 2020.
It’s not harmful that the airline operates the new Airbus A350. All seats feature cutting-edge technical features such as Bluetooth connectivity and USB-C charger outlet. Starlux is an enthusiastic newcomer hoping to beat passengers traveling from or within Asia. And that’s what I did this year.
Recently, International Air-Transport Rating Organization SkyTrax announced its annual World Aviation Awards, a ranking of over 325 airlines in various categories. The praise is based on opinions from travelers from 100 countries who submitted millions of votes via an online survey held from September 2024 to May 2025. This list was introduced in 1999 and is now one of the largest annual aviation and seafood customer satisfaction surveys. If you do, it’s the “Oscars in the aviation industry.”
Among the distinctions are the world’s most improved airlines. This is the award given to the airlines that have been the most climbing year after year. This is particularly prominent perception in the current climate of Air Travel, with delays common, legrooms still remain tighter, check bags are not free, and airport lounge access is reduced.
That’s why “improved” airlines celebrate. In 2025, Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines won the most improved location in the world, with Italian ITA Airways taking second place (and the most improved in Europe), and HK Express (Hong Kong’s budget airline) taking third place. Meanwhile, Breeze Airlines has been awarded the most improved airline in North America.
Let’s take a closer look at how these careers lead the world’s most improved list.
Most Improved Airlines Common Points
The 2025 list of the most improved airlines has an overarching theme. The winners of Starlux, ITA, and Breeze, each region have all been established within the past decade. Over the past year, these airlines have significantly expanded their route networks, building a distinctive brand identity.
Starlux has attracted the attention of research responders thanks to its major expansion across the Pacific. Today, the airline operates flights from Taipei to Los Angeles as well as San Francisco. Seattle; Ontario, California. And then Phoenix soon. A greater expansion is expected in the coming years to the US East Coast and Europe.
Breeze Airways is another new airline that has managed to get its rankings, winning the most improved title in North America. The carrier, which began flying in 2021, is the fifth airline startup created by David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue Airways. Its business model is to connect travelers in cities with little or no non-stop service, thus refraining from having to change planes in hubs where people are out of reach. The airline has grown significantly since its launch four years ago. There are currently 53 planes flying to 70 airports. This is one plane from one route to Tampa to Charleston in 2021.
According to SkyTrax, this is the complete list of the most improved airlines.
The world’s most improved airline
1. Starlux Airlines (Hub: Taipei, Taiwan)
2. ITA Airways (Hubs: Rome and Milan, Italy)
3. HK Express (Hub: Hong Kong)
4. Eurowings (Hub: Germany, Dusseldorf and Cologne)
5. Egtar (Hub: Kara)
6. Airlines Japan (Hub: Tokyo)
7. Airlix (HOB:Related, Mongolia)
8. Discover the airline (Hubs: Frankfurt and Munich, Germany)
9. Air Greenland (Hub: Nuuk, Greenland)
10. CebuPacific (Hubs: Manila, Cebu, Davao, Philippines)
