World’s best airlines for 2026 revealed… and only ONE European carrier makes the top 10

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By ALESIA FIDDLER – TRAVEL REPORTER 10:45 21 Sep 2026, updated 11:57 21 Sep 2026

The world’s best airlines have been announced – proving that fancy flights don’t have to be a flight of fancy.

Every year, the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards highlight the top-quality services offered across the industry.

The results are based on a survey of more than 24.8million travellers globally who rated more than 300 airlines between September 2025 and August 2026.

Asian carriers led the way, with only one European airline making the top ten – Air France at No7.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) was named the World’s Best Airline, earning praise for its ‘dedication to customer service’.

Gourmet in-flight meals across all classes and its state-of-the-art entertainment systems were also highlighted.

The carrier has received the prestigious accolade six times in total, and was also named Best Airline in Asia, World’s Best Economy Class, and World’s Best Economy Class Onboard Catering.

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.’

Qatar Airways followed in second place, and managed to bag a range of other awards including World’s Best Business Class, Best Airline in the Middle East, World’s Best Business Class Lounge and World’s Best Onboard Wi-Fi.

It was praised for offering ‘comfort, fine cuisine, the latest in-flight audio and video entertainment, award-winning service and a modern aircraft fleet averaging around five years of age’.

Cathay Pacific Airways, based in Hong Kong, came third in the category.

Scoot, SIA’s low-cost subsidiary, was also recognised in the awards and named Best Long-Haul Low-Cost Airline for the sixth consecutive year.

In total, with Scoot, SIA operates a fleet of more than 180 aircraft covering more than 110 destinations.

Leslie Thng, Scoot’s chief executive officer, said: ‘It is an honour to receive the World’s Best Long-Haul Low-Cost Airline award for the sixth consecutive year.

‘This recognition validates Scoot’s commitment to providing our customers with comfortable, reliable, and seamless travel experiences.

‘We are grateful to our loyal customers and valued industry partners, whose continued support makes this achievement possible.

‘Scoot will continue to innovate, strengthen our operational resilience, and enhance the customer experience as we reinforce our position as a leading low-cost carrier.’

Skytrax chief executive Edward Plaisted said: ‘We congratulate the Singapore Airlines Group on the major achievement of being named the World’s Best Airline 2026 for Singapore Airlines, and the Best Long-Haul Low-Cost Airline for Scoot.

‘These successes highlight the level of product and service excellence they are providing to customers and should be a source of great pride and motivation for the management and staff.’

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