Qatar Airways has beaten out 200 other international carriers for the ranking of best airline in the world, according to Skytrax, which polls 18 million passengers annually.

The Gulf airline is up from the number three spot last year, and has been climbing steadily in the rankings from eighth place six years ago.

Australia’s Sydney Herald reports:

Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said the award was significant for Qatar Airways, because it “reflects opinions of passengers around the world, and is based on every customer type across all cabins – be they business or leisure, frequent or first-time flyers”. 

Interestingly, Qatar Airways got third place for its elite business class seats, with the top honor going to Oman Air.

Read the full story here.

And tell us what you think! Does QA deserve the top spot?