Singapore Airlines has been named the World’s Best Airline for 2026 at the Skytrax Awards held in London.
The Asian carrier received the top prize on Friday at a ceremony held at The Langham Hotel, beating last year’s winner Qatar Airways.
It is the sixth time Singapore Airlines is winning the award in the 25-year history of the Skytrax Awards, often described as the Oscars of aviation. The airline had previously won in 2023, 2018 and three times in the 2000s.
Qatar Airways, which has won nine times in the last 15 years, came second this year. Cathay Pacific Airways was third, followed by All Nippon Airways, Turkish Airlines and Emirates in the top six.
Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted said the top prize has almost always been won by a small group of seven airlines, most of which still made the top 20 this year. British Airways was the only past winner absent from this year’s list, while US airlines were missing completely. Air Canada was the only North American carrier in the top 20.
Singapore Airlines also won Best Economy Class and Best Economy Class Catering. Other winners included Qatar Airways for Best Airline in the Middle East, Best Business Class, Best Onboard Wi-Fi and Best Business Class Lounge. Cathay Pacific won Best Cabin Crew and Best First Class Lounge.
Reacting to the award, Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said it was a testament to the dedication and professionalism of staff. Some crew members attended the event in uniform and performed dance routines on stage.
The awards are decided by a global customer satisfaction survey conducted by Skytrax, a UK-based aviation consultancy.
Despite the celebration, airline executives discussed challenges facing the industry, including wars in Iran and Ukraine, high oil prices, aircraft delivery delays and strained US international relations. Skytrax chief Plaisted said passenger experience continues to improve despite a difficult year, driven by fierce competition among airlines.
“The passenger experience, mainly driven by the industry’s increasingly fierce competition, is always getting better. It takes a big event, a 9/11 event to really cause a problem,” he told CNN.
Other notable winners were STARLUX, which earned a five star rating and won Cleanest Cabin; Air France for Best First Class; and EVA Air for Best Premium Economy.
The top five budget airlines were AirAsia, Scoot, Vueling, Eurowings and Iberia Express.
Regional winners included Bangkok Airways for Best Airline in Asia and Best Regional Airline globally, Ethiopian Airlines for Best in Africa, LATAM for Best in South America, Turkish Airlines for Best in Europe and Air Canada for Best in North America.
Air Canada also won Best Business Class Lounge Dining. Its Executive Vice President, Mark Nasr, said the awards are important as airlines compete for premium travellers to survive high fuel costs.
“The industry is getting more competitive. There’s a theme right now around the growth of premium travel and customers that are very discerning,” he said.
He added that Air Canada remains strong despite current challenges, including tensions between Canada and the US.
Other airlines that made the Skytrax Top 20 include Hainan Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, EVA Air, Qantas Airways, STARLUX Airlines, Lufthansa, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Iberia, Virgin Atlantic, Swiss International Air Lines and Thai Airways.
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