This might sway your decision the next time you book a flight
New Report: This Airline Was Just Named the Cleanest Airline in the U.S.
Published on Jul. 17, 2025
Whether you fly often or only once in a while, there’s nothing worse than traveling on a dirty plane. We’ve all been there—you board, only to discover a sticky or crumb-filled airplane seat, smelly bathrooms and carpets in need of a deep cleaning—not to mention that blanket that looks like it could be harboring bedbugs. Ewww! It can get pretty gross, which can put a serious damper on your entire flight.
Airplanes see a lot of wear and tear, and not every passenger is exactly neat and tidy. Keeping aircraft interiors in tip-top shape is a huge task, but some airlines do a much better job than others of ensuring their planes are clean. Continue reading to find out which airline was named the cleanest in the United States, and which other airlines ranked the highest around the world.
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How were the cleanest airlines determined?
Skytrax, an international air transport rating organization, set out to find out which of the world’s airlines are the cleanest. The Skytrax team assessed the cleanliness and presentation of the seats and their surrounding areas, including the tray tables, carpets, cabin panels and bathrooms.
Which airline was named the cleanest in the U.S.?
Out of all the airlines in the United States—and across North America—Delta Air Lines came out on top as the cleanest domestic airline. While it did not rank in the top 20 cleanest airlines in the world, it’s the only U.S.-based airline to make the list at all!
Why was Delta named the cleanest airline in the U.S.?
Delta works incredibly hard to make sure a dirty tray table is not on your list of things to worry about during your travels. The airline has specialized cleaning teams that perform extensive manual cleaning procedures between every single flight. They wipe down cabin surfaces, like seats, consoles, seat-back screens, airplane windows, doors, restrooms and all the other high-touch areas throughout the aircraft. It’s a big job, and Delta rises to the challenge!
Aircraft also get more thorough cleanings overnight or when they’re in need of a more intense deep-cleaning. These cleanings include vacuuming, shampooing the carpets and detailing the seats and tray tables, similar to how a car gets detailed.
What airlines were named the cleanest in the world?
With so many airlines around the world, there’s a lot of competition for the title of cleanest. Despite Delta being the cleanest airline in the United States, no U.S.-based airline earned a spot in the top 20 cleanest airlines worldwide.
The top 20 cleanest airlines in the world are:
- EVA Air
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- Qatar Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- Hainan Airlines
- STARLUX Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- Korean Air
- China Southern Airlines
- China Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Hong Kong Airlines
- Asiana Airlines
- Finnair
- Swiss International Air Lines
- Austrian Airlines
- Qantas Airways
- Lufthansa
- Saudia
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