SAA slides in global airline rankings to new low – while Ethiopian shines bright

South African Airways (SAA) continues to slide down the ranks of the world's best airlines, dropping for the fourth consecutive year to its worst place on record. Meanwhile, Ethiopian Airlines continues to soar in Africa and abroad.
South Africa's flag carrier has had a tumultuous past few years. From fierce financial losses, which forced it into business rescue, to the pandemic that crippled the global aviation sector, SAA's road to renewal has been fraught.