The World’s 10 Cleanest Airlines

How many ways can we slice and dice the world’s airlines?

With surveys and polls, carriers can be evaluated and ranked every which way. The biggest. The best. The most profitable. Airlines with the best inflight food; the best inflight entertainment system; the most lucrative loyalty program; the best on-time arrival record; the youngest fleet; the fastest inflight WiFi; the most legroom in coach; the most consecutive profitable quarters; the most employees; the most expansive route networks. And so on.

“And so on” now includes a new category, Best Aircraft Cabin Cleanliness.

According to Skytrax, which issues the annual World Airline Awards:

The Award for the world’s “Best Aircraft Cabin Cleanliness” is exactly what it says in the title. Passengers were asked to assess the standards and quality of cleanliness in the aircraft cabin on the airlines they were voting for. Seat areas, tables, carpets, cabin panels and of course the aircraft washrooms all contribute towards the final results.

So if cleanliness is next to godliness, these are the 10 most heavenly airlines.

1. EVA Air
2. Singapore Airlines
3. ANA All Nippon Airways
4. Cathay Pacific
5. Asiana
6. Garuda Indonesia
7. Japan Airlines
8. Hainan Airlines
9. Korean Air
10. Hong Kong Airlines

The rankings are based on surveys of 18 million passengers flying on 245 airlines. Although that’s a lot of data driving the results, it’s worth noting that “cleanliness” here is more of an aesthetic judgment than a scientific one. No measurements were taken of the cabin air or hard surfaces to gauge the levels of germs or bacteria, for instance.

Nevertheless, if hygiene is a priority in your travels, the Asia-Pacific carriers’ attention to cleanliness may well be reassuring. And if you’re just looking for a spiffier cabin, those top-10 airlines are definitely the way to fly.

Reader Reality Check

How important is cabin cleanliness to you?

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.