Singapore Airlines has been named the World’s Best Airline at the 2026 World Airline Awards, with Ethiopian Airlines retaining the title of Best Airline in Africa, FlySafair winning Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa and RwandAir taking Best Airline Staff Service in Africa.
The awards were announced at a gala ceremony at London’s Langham Hotel on 18 September, with more than 300 airlines included in the survey results.
Singapore returns to top spot
Singapore Airlines moved into first place in the 2026 global ranking, ahead of last year’s winner Qatar Airways in second, Cathay Pacific Airways in third, ANA All Nippon Airways in fourth and Turkish Airlines in fifth.
Singapore Airlines also won the World’s Best Economy Class and World’s Best Economy Class Onboard Catering awards.
Mr Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer of Singapore Airlines, said: “We are grateful to our customers for their trust and support, and we are committed to delivering an exceptional, world-class travel experience every time they fly with us. This award is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our people, who continually strive to uphold SIA’s renowned standards for service and operational excellence.”
Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said Singapore Airlines had also achieved strong results in other categories. “We congratulate Singapore Airlines on this major achievement of being named the World’s Best Airline 2026, which highlights the level of product and service excellence they are providing to customers.
“Singapore Airlines achieved excellent results in other categories, with their Economy Class winning the World’s Best Economy Class title and the World’s Best Economy Class Onboard Catering awards.
“These successes should be a source of great pride and motivation for Singapore Airlines management and staff, made even more special by the fact this is the sixth occasion in the awards history that Singapore Airlines has won this highest accolade.”
Qatar, Cathay take key awards
Qatar Airways, the 2026 runner-up, won four awards, including World’s Best Business Class Airline for the 13th time, World’s Best Business Class Lounge for its Al Mourjan Business Lounge The Garden, Best Airline in the Middle East and the inaugural World’s Best Onboard Wi-Fi award.
Cathay Pacific Airways won World’s Best Cabin Crew and World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.
ANA All Nippon Airways, ranked fourth overall, won World’s Best Airport Services.
Air France won World’s Best First Class, World’s Best First Class Lounge Dining and World’s Best First Class Comfort Amenities, as well as Best Airline in Western Europe.
African airlines recognised
Ethiopian Airlines was named Best Airline in Africa for the ninth consecutive year, according to the release, while FlySafair won Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa and RwandAir received Best Airline Staff Service in Africa.
Ethiopian Airlines also retained its position as the highest-ranked African airline in the awards’ regional categories.
Mesfin Tasew, group chief executive officer of Ethiopian Airlines, said: “Being recognised as the Best Airline in Africa for the ninth consecutive year is a proud milestone for Ethiopian Airlines.
“This achievement reflects the confidence that our valued customers place in us, the dedication of our employees, and our continued commitment to delivering world-class service. We are honoured by this recognition and remain committed to delivering excellence to every passenger we serve.”
Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of RwandAir, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive the award for the Best Airline Staff Service in Africa. This recognition belongs to our people, whose dedication, professionalism and genuine care for our customers bring RwandAir’s service promise to life every day, carrying the spirit of Rwanda with them on every journey.
“As we continue to grow and strengthen our position as Africa’s gateway to the world, we remain committed to investing in our people and ensuring that every passenger experiences the warmth, care and professionalism that define RwandAir.”
Elmar Conradie, CEO of FlySafair, said: “This recognition in the World Airline Awards belongs to every team member at FlySafair who shows up each day to get South Africans where they need to be, safely, on time and affordably.
“Being named Africa’s Best Low-Cost Airline reflects that consistency, and it’s an honour we don’t take for granted. To our customers, thank you for continuing to choose us and for trusting us with your journeys.”
Global category winners
Other major 2026 results included:
World’s Best Airline Alliance: oneworld
World’s Best Cabin Crew: Cathay Pacific Airways
World’s Best Low-Cost Airline: AirAsia
World’s Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airline: Scoot
World’s Best Regional Airline: Bangkok Airways
World’s Most Family Friendly Airline: EVA Air
World’s Cleanest Airline: Starlux Airlines
World’s Best Leisure Airline: Air Transat
World’s Best Airline Inflight Entertainment: Emirates
World’s Best Airport Services: ANA All Nippon Airways
World’s Most Improved Airline: EgyptAir
World’s Best First Class Airline: Air France
World’s Best Business Class Airline: Qatar Airways
World’s Best Premium Economy Class Airline: Eva Air
World’s Best Economy Class Airline: Singapore Airlines
Plaza Premium Group was named World’s Best Airport Lounge Group for the 10th consecutive year.
Other regional category winners included Turkish Airlines as Best Airline in Europe, Air Canada in North America, LATAM Airlines in South America, Hainan Airlines in China, Iberia for Best Airline Staff Service in Europe, Malaysia Airlines for Best Airline Staff Service in Asia and Air Astana for Best Airline in Central Asia & CIS.
Top 20 airlines ranked
The top 20 airlines in the 2026 global ranking were:
1. Singapore Airlines
2. Qatar Airways
3. Cathay Pacific Airways
4. ANA All Nippon Airways
5. Turkish Airlines
6. Emirates
7. Air France
8. Hainan Airlines
9. Japan Airlines
10. Korean Air
11. EVA Air
12. Qantas Airways
13. STARLUX Airlines
14. Lufthansa
15. Saudi Arabian Airlines
16. Iberia
17. Air Canada
18. Virgin Atlantic
19. Swiss International Air Lines
20. Thai Airways
Survey covers 300 airlines
The World Airline Awards were introduced in 1999 and are based on a passenger survey conducted by Skytrax.
The 2025/2026 survey ran from September 2025 to August 2026, with more than 100 customer nationalities participating. Skytrax said more than 300 airlines were included in the results.
The survey was conducted in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
Skytrax said survey entries were screened for duplicate, suspect and ineligible responses, while the organisation pays the costs of the survey and awards process. It also says there is no survey entry or registration fee for airlines and no charge for use of award logos and results.
