Airline review site Skytrax has named the best airlines of the year – based on surveys of passengers – at the Paris Air Show.

Qatar Airways beat Singapore Airlines to first place in the 2011 rankings, rising from third place, while Asiana dropped from the top of the table to take third place.

Cathay Pacific won fourth place in the overall rankings, while Thai Airways took fifth and Etihad took sixth at the awards, which were announced June 22.

Delta Air Lines has been voted the world’s most admired airline by Fortune magazine, managing to push Singapore Airlines into second place.

The award means that Delta came out top in a string of assessments including social responsibility and quality of product, as well as business-related criteria such as quality of management and global competitiveness.

Delta has moved steadily up the ranks over the past four years to reach top spot, which was awarded to Singapore Airlines last year — the airline’s boss Richard Anderson described the award as a “remarkable achievement” in a note to staff.

Virgin Atlantic‘s cabin crew have been voted the world’s most attractive in a survey of British business travelers – traditionally the most frequent flyers.

The Virgin Atlantic crew, who traditionally dress in red, beat competition from Singapore Airlines and Etihad in the survey of 1000 business travelers.

Virgin’s stunning 53 percent of votes is credited to the airline’s sexually charged global advertising campaign, which featured Bond-style graphics and plenty of suggestive images.

Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines has become the seventh airline in the world to win a five-star rating from airline reviewer Skytrax.

The prestigious ranking is awarded by Skytrax and is the highest rating an airline can achieve, signifying a “truly consistent and high quality of Product and Service.”

Hainan Airlines was the first mainland Chinese airline to be awarded four star status in 2009 and was elevated to five star last week, with exceptional rankings in long haul business and economy classes and short haul first class service.

Last week, Hong Kong-flag carrier Cathay Pacific unveiled its new lounge at Hong Kong International airport, promising a “new level of comfort and convenience.”

“The Cabin” is spread across 1,339 square meters and designed by Foster and Partners to be “contemporary, refreshing and dynamic.”

Passengers can choose between 5 zones designed for different purposes, including The Reception, The IT Zone, The Deli, The Health Bar, and The Relaxing Zone.

Singapore Airlines is to offer private jet transfer in Europe to passengers flying from Australia, the airline confirmed last week.

A partnership with Lufthansa’s Private Jet services will mean that passengers flying to one of Singapore Airline’s 14 European destinations will be able to continue their journey on a private jet to one of over 1,000 airports in Europe.

The model is almost exactly the same as PrivateConnect, the British Airways tie-up with CitationAir announced earlier this year which provides private jet connections in North America for passengers arriving on BA flights.