Singapore Airlines (SIA) has jumped 24 spots to be placed in the 18th position in the Top 50 rankings of Fortune magazine's annual World's Most Admired Companies this year.
The national carrier was ranked number 32 last year, and number 33 in 2017, according to a report by Straits Times. Besides being the only airline of the list, SIA is also the highest-ranked Asian company and the only company from Southeast Asia on the list.
Other Asian companies in the Top 50s this year are Toyota, Alibaba and Samsung.
The ranking was based on a survey of 3,750 executives, directors and analysts across a range of industries. They were asked to rank companies that they admire most in any industry. Fortune said its ranking was the "definitive report card on corporate reputations", according to the report.
The firms were picked based on factors including originality, influence, success and ambition, Time said.
SIA chief executive officer Mr Goh Choon Phong commented that as the airline hits the halfway mark in a three-year transformation programme, such recognition puts the airline well on track to get back to being the world's best airline.
In a New Year message to staff, Mr Goh said the transformation programme covers operational enhancements, revenue growth and organisational structure changes. All three areas have seen significant progress, he added. "With the positive momentum… we can be upbeat and assured that we are on the right path to better position the Group for the future."